From Gallagher to O’Brien?
A cynic might say that Denver voters simply like a good Irish name in the auditor’s office. But a more appealing explanation for the biggest surprise of the city election Tuesday is that voters wanted a green-eyeshades guy with no higher political ambitions to search out waste and fraud.
And Timothy O’Brien, with his history as state auditor, ideally fits the bill.
In O’Brien’s victory you could also pick up the scent of an anti-establishment mood in the electorate, since his defeated opponent, Councilman Chris Nevitt, was better known and attracted far more money and political endorsements. That theory is reinforced by the shocking magnitude of incumbent councilwoman Susan Shepherd’s defeat in northeast Denver — the first sitting council member to lose in nearly 30 years — at the hands of newcomer Rafael Espinoza, as well as development critic Paul Kashmann’s victory for the open seat in District 6.
Still, it’s too early to predict how council politics will shift, in part because four races remain unsettled and go to a runoff.
It would also be a mistake to overstate the insurgent mood. The city’s economy is buoyant and a clearly popular Mayor Michael Hancock coasted to re-election without serious opposition. In Denver, the mayor’s influence on policy reigns supreme.
For that matter, fewer than 100,000 people even bothered to cast their ballots.
Hancock came into office with an economy still suffering the aftereffects of the Great Recession, but enters his second term with people complaining about housing costs and other problems associated with a successful city. His room to maneuver on such issues is limited, but there are some things Denver could do, such as follow Lakewood’s lead and enact a construction-defects ordinance to encourage condo construction.
Meanwhile, the mayor must finish reforms at the sheriff’s department and make further progress on a variety of initiatives he began in his first term, from the airport to the stock show.
It all points to an extremely busy second term.
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