Denver and Colorado 2021 Election Results

It is early yet, but most of the Denver School Board and ballot issue results aren't close.

Denver Public Schools Board Seats

In the Denver School Board race Scott Esserman, the teacher's union supported candidate, will easily win first place in the "at large" race, Carrie A. Olsen, the incumbent Board President, will easily win re-election in District 3, and Michelle Quattlebaum, also supported by the teacher's union, will have a secure win in District 4. I endorsed both the District 3 and District 4 winners, and as it happens, ended up voting for Esserman in the end for the "at large" race as well although I was torn between the two front runners in that race.

But, District 2 between teacher's union supported Xochitl "Sochi" Gaytan and reformer supported Karolina Villagrana is down to the wire: 41 votes out of 7,009 favor Gaytan right now, with many more votes to be counted. I endorsed Villagrana in that race, but it will hardly be a tragedy for the Denver Public Schools if Gaytan wins instead and there are still votes left to count.

Denver Ballot Issues

On Denver specific ballot issues, voters are lining up perfectly with my recommendations.

Five municipal bond authorizations were on the ballot (2A, 2B, 2C, 2D and 2E). Four of them 2A, 2B, 2C and 2D are passing by large margins. But 2E to finance a $190 million overhaul of the National Western Stock Show complex faces an overwhelming defeat.

2F which would have repealed a group housing ordinance passed by the city to allow more unrelated people to live together and open more zones to nursing homes, group homes, and homeless shelters is trailing by 2-1 margins. Issue 303 which would have allowed private citizens to quickly evict homeless people from city property (in a manner contrary to a binding court order) and would have limited the city's ability to establish homeless camps, was defeated.

2G which would give the Independent Police Monitor more authority, and 2H which would push the municipal election date from May to April since the current date violated state and federal law are passing easily.

Issue 300 which would tax marijuana for non-medical COVID prevent measure research was defeated.

Issues 301 and 302 pertained to the Park Hill Golf Course. Issue 301 honored a conservation easement for the property despite a loophole in it, and kept the Park Hill Golf Course as a park or open space. Issue 302 which would have allowed housing developments there was defeated. 

Issue 304 which would have cut $50 million a year of sale tax revenue each year without replacing it, forcibly denting the City budget was also soundly defeated.

State Ballot Issues 

City and County of Denver voters also rejected all three state ballot issues (in line with my endorsements): 78 requiring legislative approval of non-tax revenue spending otherwise allocated to the Governor, 119 raising marijuana taxes for after school program vouchers, and 120 permanently reducing property taxes that the legislature mostly reduced temporarily already, were all disfavored in Denver, but we'll have to see the statewide counts to know if these measures pass overall or not.

So far, all three measures are heading to defeat statewide by substantial margins as well. Amendment 78, as a state constitutional amendment, required a 55% majority to pass.