Four years after taking the mayor’s office as a political novice, John Hickenlooper breezed to a second term Tuesday as one of the most popular political figures in the state.
The mayor was overwhelmingly ahead early Election Night with 88 percent of the vote.
Hickenlooper did not face serious opposition despite residents recently enduring weeks of frozen streets and a troubled election last fall – troubles that have historically thwarted elected officials.
Instead, the mayor’s lopsided victory came over city employee Danny Lopez, who ran without a campaign budget on the philosophical platform that voters ought to have a choice.
“I’m not sure we have seen this level of popularity in the modern history of Colorado,” Democratic political consultant Steve Welchert said, noting that November’s election and last winters storms did not phase Hickenlooper’s re-election effort.
“Either one of those things by themselves might take down a normal mayor or elected official, but for him they are blips on the radar.”
Hickenlooper’s re-election was the most certain of 16 municipal races decided today.
Early returns in the mail-in election, which included about 64,000 ballots, showed Stephanie O’Malley comfortably headed toward being Denver’s first elected Clerk and Recorder, defeating public trustee’s office employee Jacob Wherther with 78 percent of the vote.
O’Malley was appointed clerk and recorder by Hickenlooper in January, three weeks before voters tossed out the three-member Denver Election Commission in favor of an elected clerk and recorder.
Three open City Council seats appeared to be headed for a run offs, though Paul Lopez in District 3 and Chris Nevitt in District 7 had more than 40 percent of the vote in their respective races. Candidates must more than 50 percent to be elected, otherwide the top two vote-getters compete in a run-off.
Incumbent City Council members were also predictably in control. So was incumbent City Auditor Dennis Gallagher, leading opponent Bill Wells with 79 percent of the vote.
Staff writer George Merritt can be reached at 303-954-1657 or gmerritt@denverpost.com.
