As Denver’s mayoral election moves into its final stages, two candidates among the vast field stand apart from the rest.
They both bring significant talents to the race, and stand ready to lead the city. Choosing just one was difficult for us. We could have easily endorsed either, but just as voters have to make a decision, we had to as well.
We recommend Chris Romer for Denver mayor.
The choice was made difficult by the experience, leadership and deep neighborhood roots that candidate James Mejia brings to the table. Mejia is a strong candidate who has substantial experience in local government, having led several city departments and important initiatives over the years.
But ultimately, we found Romer to be the best choice. The former state senator has a strong financial background — a valuable skill as Denver faces historic budget problems. He is also a dynamo of ideas, and since he has never served in city government, he brings the critical eye of an outsider to that bureaucracy.
But Romer is no stranger to the issues faced by the city or the state. His intellect and command of public policy is impressive. And he embraces the importance of business-friendly policies.
“Government needs to move at the speed of business,” he told us.
Furthermore, his stance on public education is spot-on. He has long been a champion for more choice in education, and has supported the important reforms undertaken in Denver Public Schools. We think he would be an exceptional partner in promoting continued progress in the school system.
Romer is the one candidate who reminds us the most of John Hickenlooper — someone who is ready to slash government red tape and find needed efficiencies. He’s looking for smart solutions to the city’s nagging problems — new answers, not ones that already have been debated for decades.
Like Hickenlooper, we expect he’ll have one foot in the high-minded, big-picture world of policy innovation and best practices and one foot firmly rooted in the reality of potholes and city politics.
And we hope he won’t be intimidated from surrounding himself with smart people, as some politicians are.
Our support for Romer is tempered by his tendency to let his ideas get too far ahead of the debate. Every idea that pops into his head doesn’t have to come out of his mouth. Romer, thankfully, has begun to recognize that trait in himself.
If elected, he must also learn patience if he is to be an effective leader.
Bringing constituencies together to support a particular idea or direction is an art. We think Romer could be better at this.
We also find Mejia to be a strong candidate as well and easily ready to be Denver’s mayor.
He has served in the administrations of Mayors Hickenlooper and Wellington Webb, managing complicated projects, such as the construction of the $425 million bond project to build the Denver justice center. That project needed Mejia’s leadership and touch, as he helped get the neighborhood on board.
After city voters supported the creation of the Denver Preschool Program, Mejia was chosen to get the effort off the ground. He also served as an at-large member of Denver’s school board, and has significant experience with the K-12 system.
However, as we have said previously, we are concerned about the depth of his support for the reform efforts that DPS Superintendent Tom Boasberg is pursuing.
Though the mayor, of course, has no official role in setting school board policy, the position carries significant political weight. The next mayor must be a strong advocate for the continued overhaul of DPS. We’re not convinced Mejia would be.
Two other candidates deserve mention for the strengths they bring to the mayoral race — City Council members Michael Hancock and Carol Boigon.
Hancock is engaging and charismatic, and has a compelling personal story of overcoming disadvantages to forge a career in public service. Once you meet the guy, it’s tough not to like him.
He’s also a proven leader at the age of 41. Twice the president of the Denver City Council, Hancock also was the CEO of Denver’s Urban League.
Boigon, too, has a significant record of public service. She is an effective advocate for neighborhood causes, and has strong nuts-and-bolts knowledge of city issues.
Denver is at a time in its history when it needs a steady hand to chart its course, but it also needs a vision and energy and ideas.
The city faces a continuing budget problem as revenues no longer are sufficient to support the range of services city residents have enjoyed. The next mayor will have to lead the effort to make the budget more sustainable.
The mayor also must work on economic development, making Denver a friendlier place for business, both for small businesses and big corporations.
Good jobs are an integral part of the formula for a great city, as is a quality school system.
We believe Romer is best suited to take on those challenges.
