Candidates backed by the teachers union swept all four races in the Denver Public Schools’ Board of Education election Tuesday, ushering in new leadership of Colorado’s largest school district and ousting two incumbents for the second time in two years.
The candidates’ victories come two years after the union’s hold on the school board weakened in the 2023 election, which saw Denverites favor candidates backed by the deep-pocketed Denver Families Action, a political group with ties to charter schools.
But the Denver Classroom Teachers Association declared Tuesday’s election a victory in all four races despite an independent committee backed by Denver Families significantly outspending the union in the election.
Xóchitl Gaytán, the sole incumbent endorsed by DCTA, was among the candidates who won.
“Denver voters made it clear that they trust educators to make decisions about what is best for Denver Public Schools students, over billionaire-backed private interests,” DCTA President Rob Gould said in a statement Wednesday. “...Throughout their campaigns, DCTA-endorsed candidates spoke about supporting educators, improving student achievement and school safety, lowering class sizes and increasing educator pay. While we celebrate the results of this election today, we look forward to addressing many of the issues that currently exist in DPS."
Incumbents Scott Esserman, who ran for an open seat in District 3, and Michelle Quattlebaum, who sought re-election in District 4, each trailed two other candidates in their races, with just 16.72% and 14.47% of the vote, respectively, as of the latest results released 5 p.m. Wednesday.
Esserman, who currently holds an at-large seat, was running to replace Carrie Olson, who was term-limited. He and Quattlebaum were both backed by the union during their first campaigns in 2021, but failed to earn that endorsement this year.
Quattlebaum and Esserman each served their one term during a period that saw students return to the classroom during the pandemic; the 2023 shooting at East High School; and DPS's recent standoffs with the Trump administration over federal immigration policies and gender-neutral bathrooms in schools. Their tenure was also marred by infighting among board members as directors struggled to agree on how to govern DPS.
“Although tonightap results aren’t what we hoped for, I’m proud of the campaign we ran,” Quattlebaum said. “...I just want to thank District 4 for trusting me to walk this journey with them the last four years.”
Esserman did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday night.
District 3 initially saw the closest race, though the lead by DJ Torres -- the union's candidate -- widened considerably as results were posted throughout Tuesday night and Wednesday. He received 46.18% of the vote, beating Caron Blanke, who received 37.1% as of 5 p.m. Wednesday.
Amy Klein Molk, with 56.15% votes, beat Alex Magaña, who had 43.85%, in the race for Esserman’s at-large seat as of 5 o.m. Wednesday.
Monica Hunter won the crowded District 4 race with 42.88% of the vote as of 5 p.m. Wednesday. Timiya Jackson received 28.64% of the vote and Jeremy Harris had 14.01% of the vote.
"Denver voters have shown that they trust educators to know what's best for our students' future," Molk said in a statement. "I'm proud of the authentic campaign I ran and as I said throughout the campaign, I remain committed to the belief that good always wins."
Gaytán won the District 2 race to represent southwest Denver, with 59.95% of the vote as of 5 p.m. Wednesday. Mariana del Hierro received 40.05% of the vote.
“The city of Denver, families, parents are looking at steering away from the reform agenda into having strong, accessible neighborhood schools and refocusing on what that looks like,” Gaytán said of the preliminary results.
Denver Families CEO Clarence Burton Jr. has previously said the DPS school board election was not about school reform, such as school choice and charter schools. But the teachers union and its slate of candidates have insisted that the reform fight was at play this year, especially as both sides spent about $1.8 million in campaign advertising.
"While the results aren’t what we’d hoped for, Denver voters made it clear they want change and they want a board more aligned with their priorities," Burton Jr. said in a statement Wednesday morning. "We look forward to working with the board to strengthen transparency and ensure families’ voices remain central to decisions about public education."
had hoped to complete its flip of the school board, which it began in 2023 when candidates endorsed by the organization won three seats and ousted two incumbents.
Denver Families Action is the main backer of an independent expenditure committee called , which has poured $1.1 million into the school board election. Last week, Mayor Mike Johnston endorsed Denver Families' slate of candidates: Magaña, del Hierro, Blanke and Jackson.
"It appears the mayor and non-union forces are making another significant effort to gain a majority of the DPS board," pollster Floyd Ciruli said in an email prior to Election Day. "Given the mayor's significant bond campaign, he has clout at the moment. We may be headed for a change at DPS. What it will mean for policy and personnel is less clear."
DCTA has given candidates about $76,809 directly. Two independent expenditure committees backed by the have spent $433,954 on advertising in the DPS election, which has also drawn spending from local unions in other districts, such as Jeffco Public Schools.
Whoever wins the election will help oversee DPS at a time the district is facing significant financial challenges, as K-12 enrollment falls and state and federal budgets are slashed.
The financial pressures mean DPS might consider closing more schools because of low enrollment in the future, which school board members will have to vote on if Superintendent Alex Marrero makes such a recommendation.
Directors will also have to decide whether to close any schools with poor academic performance, should Marrero recommend doing so under his new School Transformation Process policy.
"Whoever wins this race... everybody needs to be focused on the challenges ahead," Gould said before results were released.
If the board's majority had flipped Tuesday night, Marrero's leadership of the district could also be thrown into question.
The superintendent has faced criticism from candidates and community organizations for not doing enough to improve academic outcomes or school safety. But a supermajority, which is five votes, is needed to fire Marrero without cause, per his contract.
