They’ll be part of a contingent of local Democratic heavy-hitters — also including Colorado Democratic Party Chair Shad Murib — visiting the Crescent City to bolster Denver’s bid as it competes against four other cities.

Crow said the fact that Denver has done it before means it’s more than prepared to do it again. Denver hosted the Democratic convention in 2008, when a fresh-faced U.S. senator from Illinois named Barack Obama accepted the party’s presidential nomination.

“We know we can do this and do this well,” the congressman from Aurora told The Denver Post in an interview on Thursday. “We have the capacity. We have the infrastructure.”

And Colorado, he said, has the blue credentials to excite the base and put them to work making sure the next occupant of the White House is a Democrat.

“At a time when the Democratic Party is facing a crisis of confidence in so many places, and in so many ways, Colorado is a beacon of how to do it right,” Crow said.

Early last month, the national party announced that Denver to host the Democratic National Convention — joining Atlanta, Boston, Chicago and Philadelphia. The nominating convention for the party’s presidential ticket is set for Aug. 7-10, 2028.

The party and potential host cities are working out site visit plans for each in the coming weeks. A decision on which city wins the bid will likely be made this summer.

Johnston and other city representatives have lobbied for the event both formally and informally in recent months. The mayor’s spokesman, Jon Ewing, confirmed Johnston’s appearance in New Orleans this weekend and said the mayor recognizes the manifold benefits of steering the event to the Mile High City.

“Landing the DNC would be an enormous economic boon for Denver, bringing tens of thousands of visitors to Colorado and generating hundreds of millions of dollars in activity for the city and local businesses,” Ewing said.

Murib spoke to The Post by phone from New Orleans, where he’s been since Monday. He will join Crow and Johnston in speaking to the delegates at the spring meeting on Friday evening.

“We’re hoping to show them why Denver is the best place for the 2028 convention,” he said. “We want to emphasize the seamless experience they will have in Denver — from the airport to the hotels to the convention.”

Each of the finalist cities has hosted at least one past Democratic convention — Philadelphia in 2016, Boston in 2004 and Atlanta in 1988. Chicago hosted in 2024, the most recent of its dozen times playing the role.

“We want to show how the convention could be one for the history books again,” Murib said, alluding to the nomination of America’s first Black president 18 years ago.

Murib said three Denver City Council members — President Amanda Sandoval, Chris Hinds and Darrell Watson — will be at the national Democrats’ meeting as well.

Crow, an Army veteran who represents a Colorado district that takes in the eastern and southern suburbs of Denver, is serving as battleground co-chair for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee for the 2026 election cycle.

Colorado was among the top states in the nation for Democratic performance in the 2024 election, bucking what was otherwise a red wave that handed control of the White House and Congress to Republicans. Democratic presidential contender Kamala Harris beat now-President Donald Trump in Colorado by a margin of 11 percentage points.

“We’re a model for the country,” Crow said.

He said this week’s gathering of party leaders is a critical moment in the push to get Denver back on the national stage two years from now.

“This is the biggest gathering between now and when the (convention) decision is made,” Crow said.

Murib said the meeting in New Orleans won’t be all serious business, though.

“It’s a little bit of a party — and a pitch,” he said.

Someone dressed in a big blue bear costume — an homage to the 40-foot ursine behemoth who peers into the Colorado Convention Center along 14th Street in downtown Denver — has already been getting a lot of attention from attendees, the party chair said.

“Everyone is getting a picture with the big blue bear wearing Mardi Gras beads,” he said.

The event could mean a major economic boost for the city, which has faced a steep budget crunch recently as sales tax revenue has stagnated. Denver will compete against Atlanta, Boston, Chicago and Philadelphia for the convention. National Democrats will visit each city this spring as they consider options.

The Denver Post first reported that the city was preparing a bid to host the convention in January. This is the first time the city has formally confirmed its bid.

“I’m thrilled the Democratic National Committee is considering Denver as the host city for the 2028 convention,” Mayor Mike Johnston said in a news release Monday. “Denver not only offers everything a successful convention needs, but we are a shining example of how to lead America forward by dreaming big and delivering bigger.”

The convention will be from Aug. 7-10, 2028,

“The DNC is proud to be moving forward with our 2028 Democratic National Convention plans, another critical step toward retaking the White House and finally putting an end to Republicans’ betrayal of working families,” DNC Chair Ken Martin said in a statement. “We look forward to celebrating our future nominees on the national stage and highlighting Democrats’ commitment to building a better, safer, and more affordable future for our country.”

DNC leadership and representatives of the party’s “Technical Advisory Group” will come to the city for the site visit. They will “assess the logistical and operational components of each city’s bid,” according to the news release.

According to the release, the party will consider things like:

• The importance of “forging a strong partnership between the DNC and the host city, including its community, political, and business leaders.”
• A city that “shares Democratic values.”
• “The value of utilizing new and innovative approaches in response to the challenges and opportunities that arise from hosting an event of this magnitude.”

Presidential nominating conventions, which happen every four years, are where Democratic and Republican party delegates formally select their presidential candidates.

Denver last hosted the event in 2008 when President Barack Obama accepted his nomination at Empower Field at Mile High, then called Invesco Field.

Each of the other competing cities have also hosted the event before, with Chicago doing so 12 times already. The DNC was also in Philadephia in 2016, Boston in 2004 and Atlanta in 1988.

When Chicago held the event in 2024, it brought in an estimated $200 million in spending, The event would also have costs with thousands of visitors straining the city’s resources, including its infrastructure and law enforcement.

The DNC didn’t specify in its news release when the organization would make its decision. The Republican National Committee in 2023 announced that it had selected Houston for its 2028 convention.

Several prominent city and state leaders, including Gov. Jared Polis and Democratic Party Chair Shad Murib provided supportive statements in the news release Monday.

“Denver and all of Colorado is convenient to get to and is a must-visit destination for people around the country and around the world, and it makes perfect sense that Denver would be considered a finalist to host the Democratic National Convention,” Polis said. “Denver has already proven that we can host an incredible Democratic National Convention, having hosted one of the most memorable in recent history, and I have no doubt that when the committee visits they will see the same opportunity for 2028.”

also included statements from City Council President Amanda Sandoval, Denver Area Labor Federation President Jon Alvino, Downtown Denver Partnership CEO Kourtny Garrett and Visit Denver President & CEO Richard W. Scharf.

Denver about the city when submitting its bid, according to the city’s news release.

Re: “Trump vetoes bill to fund pipeline,” Jan. 1 news story

In his epic recounting of the AIDS crisis in “And the Band Played On,” Randy Schilts wrote, “Politics knows only two principles: loyalty and revenge.”

Congress did its job, writing a bipartisan bill to ensure clean water to southeast Colorado. However, Trump is angry at Lauren Boebert for demanding the release of the Epstein files and he is mad because Tina Peters is getting the justice she deserves.

Even worse, southeast Colorado is strong Republican territory. Trump hurt his own constituents.

If the Republicans in the Senate had done the right thing at both of Trump’s impeachment hearings, he never would have run for a second term. It’s brutally apparent — and this began with Watergate — that Republicans are the “win elections at any and all costs” party.

The only way for this to stop is a massive blue wave at the 2026 midterms and the 2028 presidential election.

Mike Filion, Lakewood

Re: “Veto is Trump’s latest targeted hit on Colorado water,” Jan. 2 news story

The article described Donald Trump’s latest targeted hits on Colorado. It was suggested that some Colorado Republicans blame our state’s Democratic leaders for provoking Trump’s wrath. Examples provided were Attorney General Phil Weiser’s 49 lawsuits against the administration and Secretary of State Jena Griswold’s rejection of requests from the Justice Department to share sensitive voter information.

Totally irrelevant! No president of our United States should exact any wrath against any state at any time for any reason. Full stop!

Terri Tilliss, Parker

As a registered Republican and longtime Coloradan, it pains me to hear you, President Trump, ridicule our state. Our very intelligent voters, jurors, and even our immigrants understand things like the Constitution and even the way birds die ( a billion deaths a year from Buildings!) at a much higher level than our country’s leader. Please pick up a book, a newspaper (like our Denver Post), or watch a PBS show like “Nova.”

Tina Peters broke the law, and jurors, likely many Republicans given the district, found her guilty. She is where she belongs. Pay attention to the important things of running a country.

Steve Lorenz, Littleton

We do not need the DNC in Denver to boost the mayor

Re: “Denver seeks to host the 2028 Democratic National Convention,” Jan. 4 news story

We are living in an attention economy where attention drives capital at least as much as capital drives attention, but national attention will not make Denver vibrant.

Denver’s Vail-to-Yale mayor wants you to believe hosting the DNC would be “for Denver.” Denverites are smarter than that. We know the play, and it isn’t that attention will put money in our pockets. It����ap that our public dollars will buy attention — political capital — for Johnston. No one who actually reads The Denver Post is gullible enough to believe the federal government under Donald Trump will backstop a DNC, let alone a DNC in Denver, the way it did for Chicago under Joe Biden, right?

After all, since Mayor Mike Johnston has pitched Denver’s bid, the Trump administration has announced plans to freeze $10 billion in funding for childcare subsidies, social services and cash support for low-income families in five states controlled by Democrats, including Colorado, claiming widespread fraud throughout those states.

Let����ap be honest with ourselves and clear-eyed about what Denver’s mayor is proposing. Hosting the DNC won’t fix downtown. It won’t deliver “vibrancy.” Hell, it won’t even generate meaningfully more direct consumer spending than Taylor Swift����ap two Denver Eras Tour shows did in 2023 — estimated at $201.7 million, per the Common Sense Institute.

Chicago’s 2024 DNC generated only $200 million in direct spending, as The Denver Post re-reported. Denver already hosts big events that drive hundreds of millions in spending. We don’t need to subsidize a political spectacle to appease Johnston’s ego.

Hosting the DNC is a distraction that neither Denver nor an administration with a poor fiscal-management track record, scrambling to close a massive budget gap with layoffs and furloughs, can afford.

Greg Whitman, Creede

Xcel’s power move was the right call

Re: “Xcel’s power shutdown in Boulder County was unacceptable,” Jan. 4 commentary, “,” Jan. 4 commentary and “Implementing power outages doesn’t solve Xcel’s underlying safety issues,” letter to the editor

There is much vitriol aimed at Xcel for the recent power outages. The guest commentary in Sunday’s paper wrote, “The shutdown appears to have been a precautionary measure to limit Xcel Energy’s liability should aging or insufficiently maintained power lines fail and spark a fire.” I saw photos of power poles toppled by the wind. The poles did not look aged.

Many people seem to think the outages were performed only to limit liability. Of course this is a component, but the actions were to prevent another fire, perhaps not of Marshall proportions, but any fire.

Directly adjacent to this commentary was an article detailing how recovery from the Marshall fire is far from complete, with issues not limited to rebuilding but including the state of survivors’ physical, mental, and economic health.

For the first author attacking Xcel to state that there have been stronger wind events in Boulder, you can proclaim that there has never been an incident until there is. That����ap what happened Dec. 30, 2021.

For people who say there was no wind in their area, do you know about meteorological data collection, how the grid is set up, and what is involved in shutting off areas?

For the letter writer who states that “Xcel needs to be held responsible for improving and upgrading their infrastructure (at their expense)” — read our expense. Could the process have been managed better? Yes. Were the outages damaging to many? Yes. But this does not compare to what we witnessed four years ago.

C. Greenman, Lakewood

Anything bad can happen in gubernatorial race

Re: “Oltmann for Colo. governor? Spare us,” Jan. 4 commentary

As much as I admit to Krista Kafer’s integrity, I think she is in need of a reality check. Joe Oltmann for Colorado governor, or someone who shares his beliefs, is not so far-fetched.

Your once proud Republican brand is now morally bankrupt. It has now become the party of insurrection and sedition, election interference and delusional election peddlers, Trump loyalists and toadies.

If mainstream Republicans and right-leaning unaffiliated voters had any scruples, Trump would not have been elected for a second term.

Unserious candidates, I think not. Those who peddle conspiracy theories, defame innocent Americans and wish death upon their political rivals are parroting their maximum leader. Think again, Krista.

Leonard Juliano, Arvada

Follow the Firewise guidelines in home construction

As an insurance agent in Colorado for well over 20 years, I am very well-versed in Colorado’s guidelines, which are recognized by most, if not all, municipalities and insurance companies as the most effective guide for preventing fires and mitigating fire damage.

I have heard many comments over the past three years regarding what started the fire and whose fault it is. But, I have never heard one comment about the building codes and how close we allow homes to be built.

In new areas, builders erect homes that are, in many cases, less than 15 feet apart. Firewise guidelines for homeowners state a minimum of 30′ of defensible space around your home. Insurance companies use these same numbers when considering whether to issue or renew an insurance policy.

Plus, there are many other recommendations about what can surround your property as far out as 100 feet.

So, until our city planners really want to get serious about fire control and mitigation, and start by requiring a greater distance between new construction, we will see this same disaster occur again. And the likelihood that a change in building codes and zoning requirements will happen is zero, as too much money is involved for everyone concerned,
except for the end user, which is the homeowner.

It’s time we stop speaking out of both sides of our mouths and get real about making a change that will matter.

Bob Lowry, Highlands Ranch

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Twenty years later, Denver’s city leaders want to recreate : the thousands of eager visitors, the national focus on the Mile High City, the event that sparked a decade of Democratic political successes.

Mayor Mike Johnston’s office is preparing a bid to host the 2028 Democratic National Convention, according to a letter from Colorado’s Democratic members of Congress provided to The Denver Post by one of the signatories’ offices.

Presidential nominating conventions, which happen every four years, are where Democratic and Republican party delegates formally select their presidential candidates.

If Denver is successful, it could mean a major economic boost for a city still struggling to rebuild its downtown after the COVID-19 pandemic and years of construction on 16th Street. When Chicago held the event in 2024, it brought in an according to the Chicago Tribune.

The 2008 convention created a regional benefit of about $400 million in today’s dollars for the Denver area, then-Mayor John Hickenlooper

The event would also have costs, however. Thousands of new people all pouring into Denver at once would strain the city’s resources, including its infrastructure and law enforcement. The 2008 convention brought protests and a heavy police presence.

that the Windy City spent at least $75 million in federal dollars to strengthen its fire and police forces, and on construction.

Denver’s own budget has been strained this past year as stagnating sales tax revenue triggered layoffs and spending cuts.

So far, Johnston’s office isn’t providing details on the city’s bid, with spokesman Jon Ewing saying only: “We are honored to be in consideration to host the Democratic National Convention.”

But a from the state’s Democratic members of Congress to party chair Ken Martin confirms that the city plans to submit a bid.

“We would be honored to welcome the Democratic National Convention back to Colorado in 2028 and to share the incredible amenities, hospitality and spirit of our thriving state,” according to the letter dated Dec. 17. “We encourage you to give the bid submitted by the City and County of Denver your full and fair consideration consistent with all applicable laws and regulations.”

Denver’s DNC pitch

It����ap unclear exactly what Denver’s leaders will include in their proposal, but the delegates’ letter and input from political experts provide some clues into what officials may highlight.

The package is likely to present some practical necessities — like possible hotel, security and venue options — and an appeal to a grander political narrative about how Denver represents the future of the Democratic Party.

Colorado has become a Democratic stronghold in recent election cycles, a major change from its swing-state status in 2008. As national Democrats search for a new path to political success, returning to the place that launched the Obama coalition may offer a strong symbol. Colorado’s Democratic representatives in Congress nodded to that in their letter, calling Obama’s nomination “one of the most iconic moments in convention history.”

Part of what made Obama’s acceptance speech so notable was that it took place at Empower Field at Mile High, then called Invesco Field. Typically, nominating conventions are held in smaller, enclosed arenas. The last-minute change to the massive stadium created a unique, rockstar-like atmosphere that Democrats haven’t replicated since. While Obama’s campaign attempted to hold another open-air acceptance in 2012, .

The Congressional delegation also pointed to the convenience of most parts of the country having direct flights into Denver International Airport and the city’s A-Line commuter rail from the airport to Union Station.

“Beyond the city, Colorado’s natural beauty offers extraordinary opportunities for attendees who may wish to extend their stay,” they wrote.

Shad Murib, the chair of the Colorado Democratic Party, also declined to share details on the city’s application but confirmed that the party is working with Johnston’s office on it. In a statement, he nodded to recent election results that show Colorado voters are only getting more Democratic despite the opposite happening in many parts of the country.

“In 2024 and 2025, Colorado showed the nation how Democrats can win in rural and red areas alike with community-oriented candidates, year-round organizing and an across-the-board focus on saving people money and strengthening freedoms,” he said in a written statement. “That����ap what it����ap going to take to win back Congress and the White House.”

What national Democrats may consider

In the past, the Democratic National Committee has oscillated between hosting the event in swing states and safe Democratic areas. The last convention, in 2024, was held in Chicago, a deep blue city in a deep blue state. The 2020 convention was meant to be in Milwaukee — in the swing state of Wisconsin — before officials opted for a mostly virtual convention due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This would be less about trying to win over the state for the Democrats but could still be bringing attention to political organization in the Mountain West,” said Seth Masket, a professor of political science at the University of Denver.

Some of the other cities known to be submitting bids for the convention are �����Ի� . Those could become new rivals for Denver as the process heats up. In past election cycles, city leaders who were finalists for the event lobbed insults at one another, disparaging one another from across the country for a chance at the prestigious selection.

Masket said in the end, the party’s choices are often “surprisingly opaque.”

“I would think the city (Denver) would be very competitive with this,” Masket said. “It����ap also pretty vague how the party makes this decision in the end and what features they actually end up being most persuaded by.”

The Democratic National Committee didn’t respond to a request for comment by this story’s deadline.

Masket remembers the 2008 convention being a “very vibrant time to be in the city.” That would be good news for Johnston, who has made vibrancy his biggest tagline for Denver’s goals and who plans to run for a second term in 2027.

“Every sort of storefront and restaurant is kind of at its best and just showing people and trying to attract people. It����ap crowded but it����ap an exciting time,” Masket said.

The event would put Denver in the national spotlight, giving people from across the country a look at the city’s mountainous skyline and revamped downtown.

“It����ap very good advertising,” Masket said. “It����ap an expensive thing, but it is good promotion for the city.”

The timeline for when the national committee will choose the location hasn’t been announced, but the 2024 location was selected about a year and a half before the convention.

In an unusually early announcement, the Republican National Committee in 2023 announced that it had

Another factor that could come into play is that Denver has already hosted the event for Democrats twice before, and again in 2008. Several other cities have held the convention multiple times. It has been in Chicago 12 times, Baltimore nine times and New York five times.

While some of those cities re-hosted more than two decades apart, the event was in New York City in 1976, 1980 and 1992. That means it wouldn’t be unprecedented for Democrats to choose Denver again 20 years later.

“It����ap not far-fetched at all,” Masket said.

Oh, and Polis cracked a Taylor Swift reference, continuing his emerging tradition of shoehorning in Swifty humor whenever possible.

The three Colorado Democrats each delivered roughly two-minute speeches at the Democrats’ Chicago convention — Polis spoke Wednesday, Neguse and Crow on Thursday — as the party formally nominated Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as its presidential ticket for November.

The trio formed the de facto face of a Colorado delegation that featured both U.S. senators, John Hickenlooper and Michael Bennet, as well as Attorney General Phil Weiser, Treasurer Dave Young, and several state lawmakers, among others.

In their speeches, Polis and Crow both wielded giant book-sized versions of Project 2025, drawn up by Republican groups for a second Trump term. Among other things, the plan includes recommending that the Food and Drug Administration reverse its years-old approval of mifepristone, which is used in medication abortion.

Trump has sought to distance himself from Project 2025.

Polis’ comments largely focused on the plan’s references to abortion access, while Crow — a former Army Ranger — criticized its provisions related to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and NATO.

“Democrats welcome weird, but we’re not weirdos telling families who can and can’t have kids, who to marry or how to live our lives,” Polis said Wednesday, leaning on a Walz jab of Republican policies as “weird.” “These Project 2025 people like Trump and (running mate Sen. JD) Vance are not just weird; they’re dangerous. They want to take us backwards, but we aren’t going back — like ever, ever, ever.”

(That’s the .)

Polis has been a public supporter of Harris — and, now, Walz — since President Joe Biden announced he would not seek reelection last month. Asked before his speech if he would serve in a Harris cabinet, Polis told The Denver Post that he planned to finish his term as governor, which ends in 2026.

Neguse, the fourth-ranking member of the U.S. House’s minority leadership, used his brief speech Thursday to praise Harris and her past work on education. He pointed to her support for historically black colleges and universities and to her time as California attorney general, when she secured a $1.1 billion judgment against a for-profit secondary education company over its predatory practices.

The convention ends Thursday night.

Walz, who was tapped to serve as Vice President Kamala Harris’ running mate earlier this month, will speak after former President Bill Clinton, The full lineup — including Polis’ expected timeslot — will be released by the DNC on Wednesday afternoon.

Polis, who served in Congress with Walz, introduced his Minnesota counterpart at a Denver fundraiser last week, during Walz’s first solo trip since joining the Democratic ticket. Polis has been an enthusiastic and public supporter of Harris since President Joe Biden announced in July that he would end his reelection bid.

The Colorado governor has been at the Chicago convention all week, alongside other Colorado Democrats including U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, U.S. Reps. Jason Crow and Diana DeGette, Attorney General Phil Weiser, Treasurer Dave Young, and state Reps. Leslie Herod, Javier Mabrey and Bob Marshall.

Colorado is not one of them. We’ve become a flyover state and while you may not miss the barrage of attention that comes with the designation of being a battleground state, this development does not bode well for our collective interests.

As recently as 2016, Colorado was identified by FiveThirtyEight, a respected political analysis website, as one of the twelve perennial swing states that would decide the presidential election. “It����ap the holy grail of presidential election campaigns: knowing which states will be decisive in the Electoral College,” political writer Nathaniel Rakich aptly said.

Colorado’s place in the presidential beauty pageant alongside states like Florida, Michigan, Ohio and North Carolina once seemed secure. Yes, even with our nine electoral votes, Colorado mattered. We were a key target to the two major presidential candidates in their race to 270 electoral votes.

And while the vast majority of states have voted for the same party in presidential contests over the last six presidential contests, Colorado has voted for the Republican and Democratic ticket three times each.

Peak battleground status for Colorado was between 2004 and 2016. Our state’s importance was reflected in being selected as the site of the 2008 Democratic National Convention.

In 2012, President Barack Obama made more first-term trips to Colorado than any president in 40 years. Obama had 16 days of public events in his first term including his February 17, 2009, trip to Denver to sign the $ 787 billion stimulus American Recovery and Reinvestment stimulus package into law.

Colorado was even home to the first presidential debate in the 2012 election and as many as 13 days in state visits by then-Republican nominee Mitt Romney.

Electorally important states get disproportional attention. According to the Brookings Institute, 75% of campaign dollars are poured into advertising and campaigning in these swing states.

From the beginning of the general election through the beginning of October, 12 states have had 69 of the 70 general election campaign events while 38 states, have not had a single event by the major-party nominees. Neither major candidate has visited Colorado since February. And, with ballots about to be placed in the mail, there has been virtually no campaign advertising either. I am not complaining about missing out on the endless text messages, phone calls, ugly ads, candidate polling calls and the political junk mail.

What I do miss though is Colorado’s loss of influence. Issues are often framed by candidates with these key battleground states in mind.

In real terms, candidates aren’t directly answering our questions, meeting with voters, or addressing Colorado’s needs and concerns. And, it����ap not just Colorado. Today, Nevada and Arizona are the only two states west of Iowa that are even considered swing states. The West has lost its influence.

Colorado is perceived as a Democratic state despite the meteoric rise in voters describing themselves as unaffiliated and a slight Democratic edge in registration numbers.

Time will tell if this is the Trump effect or a more permanent demographic change. Colorado has swung back and forth before. Since 1972, Colorado has voted for the Republican candidate in eight of 13 presidential elections. And, while Democratic candidates have won Colorado in the last three cycles, Republicans won the three consecutive races before that.

The impact goes well beyond the election.

In his book “Presidential Pork: White House Influence over the Distribution of Federal Grants,” author John Hudak wrote in 2014 about how presidents target funds toward battleground states and electoral strategic policy goals.

“The numbers show definitively that presidents seek to get the most they can out of federal funding allocations. On average, swing states receive 5-7 percent more grants and grant dollars than do non-swing states. In advance of election years, those numbers increase even more. Within agencies where political appointees, rather than careerists, fill many high-level positions and in agencies structured in ways that enable presidential influence (non-commission structures), the swing-state advantage can exceed 30 percent.”

There are countless examples that point to benefits that key swing states, like Florida, have received under Republican and Democratic presidents alike.

Now that Colorado has been relegated to a flyover state, Proposition 113 is even more relevant. Coloradans will decide whether we would be better served to join the National Popular Vote Compact. Wouldn’t Colorado and Western states be better off with a system that guarantees that everyone’s voice is heard and that the presidential candidate with the most votes nationwide wins?

Doug Friednash is a Denver native, a partner with the law firm Brownstein Hyatt Farber and Schreck and the former chief of staff for Gov. John Hickenlooper.

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Longtime Denver attorney and power broker Steve Farber, a founder of Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck who was entwined in the development of many of the city’s biggest public projects, died Wednesday.

He was 76.

His friend of 50-plus years and law firm partner Norm Brownstein issued a statement Wednesday morning calling his friend “a Colorado legend.”

“Steve passed away peacefully surrounded by his family at his home,” Brownstein told The Denver Post. “For more than 50 years, Steve and I were partners on this incredible journey that started on the playground at Colfax Elementary. Who would have thought Steve, Jack Hyatt and I, three kids from north Denver, could do all this?”

Farber rose from humble roots in a tight-knit Jewish neighborhood on Denver’s west side, according to a Denver Post story published in 2005 after he experienced kidney failure.

His father worked as a general manager of a Denver produce wholesaler, and his mother worked at a May department store. Brownstein lived at a foster home in Farber’s neighborhood, and he often would crash at his friend’s house, according to a 2016 story in The Post.

After graduating from the University of Colorado’s law school in 1968, the two and Hyatt started the firm, and eventually turned it into a juggernaut that netted the firm more than $25.7 million in federal lobbying revenue in 2015. Hyatt died in 2017.

Brownstein called Farber “one of the most respected and accomplished leaders in the country.”

Condolences for Farber’s family began pouring into Twitter from Colorado luminaries after news broke of his death, including from U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner and U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette.

Steve Farber’s Colorado story is one of perseverance, hard work and leadership. Jaime and I are holding his family and loved ones in our prayers as our state mourns his passing.

— Cory Gardner (@SenCoryGardner)

Farber helped raise tens of millions of dollars to bring the Democratic National Convention to Denver in 2008, serving as co-chair of the city’s host committee. He also helped United Airlines negotiate its lease at the new Denver International Airport in the early 1990s.

Later, Farber led the Ascent Entertainment Group’s tortured negotiations with the city to finance and build the Pepsi Center. And he represented the Denver Broncos.

“Steve was often the first call CEOs, politicians and community leaders made because they knew he would find a way to get the job done,” Brownstein said. “Our ability to thrive as a firm for more than 50 years is a testament to Steve’s leadership, work ethic and entrepreneurial spirit.”

Farber was active in Denver’s charitable organizations, including having a long association with Rose Medical Center and the Rose Community Foundation. His battle with kidney disease in the early 2000s prompted Farber to launch the Denver-based American Transplant Foundation to increase awareness about organ donorship and find a cure for the disease.

Today, with great sadness, we say goodbye to a Colorado legend, Steve Farber. |

— Brownstein (@BrownsteinHyatt)

“Steve believed that no one should die while waiting for a lifesaving transplant,” the foundation said in a statement released shortly after his death. “Through his own struggle of trying to find a living donor due to kidney failure, he realized how much needed to be done to help save lives here in America.”

Former Gov. John Hickenlooper, who has long known Farber and is now running for one of Colorado’s U.S. Senate seats, recalled meeting the lawyer for lunch at Denver’s now-defunct Bamboo Hut a year before his 2003 bid for Denver mayor.

Farber gave him advice that ran counter to what he was hearing from a lot of other people, who were urging Hickenlooper to get into the race a full year before the election.

“He said, ‘Don’t be silly — you should take as long as you need before you throw yourself into a campaign,’ ” Hickenlooper recounted Wednesday morning. “When you jump in, you want to be 1,000% committed to make a good impression.”

Hickenlooper, who went on to become governor of Colorado for two terms, remembers making at least 20 out-of-town trips with Farber to raise money to bring the Democratic National Convention to Denver 12 years ago.

“Despite all the nos we got, he was always optimistic,” he said. “We raised a bunch of money, and he was tireless.”

Hickenlooper also remembered playing informal tennis matches at Farber’s house. But mostly he remembered Farber’s ability to engage with people in a powerfully personal and effective way.

“He was always in the moment — he paid attention to whoever he was with,” Hickenlooper said. “He made people feel that they were important.”

Former U.S. Sen. Hank Brown knew Farber for the better part of 60 years. He said the most impressive thing about his friend and old college mate was “his ability to get people together and settle disputes.”

Brown knew Farber and Brownstein while all three attended the University of Colorado at Boulder in the 1960s. He recruited the pair to the Delta Tau Delta fraternity even though Jews apparently had never pledged there before.

My very favorite Steve Farber story was when he helped me pick a lock to get into the 94 Romer campaign HQ (I left my keys inside). He told me it was trick he picked up as a kid on the West Side.

— Alan Salazar (@AlanSalazarCO)

Brown even considered donating his kidney to Farber when Farber became sick. Despite a match in blood type, Brown was told he was too old to donate, and Farber’s son Gregg ultimately became his kidney donor.

“He’s been a lifetime friend — he was an usher in our (1967) wedding,” Brown said. “He was one of the most extraordinarily capable people I’ve ever met.”

Farber is survived by his wife of 48 years, Cindy, and three sons — Gregg, Brent and Brad. He also had six grandchildren. No cause of death was announced.

Friday, Feb. 28 is the deadline to submit the form to put your name on the ballot for the May election for your metropolitan district board — if you live in one.

Why on earth should you care?

Maybe because your metro district receives upward of 50% of the property taxes you pay — in addition to any quarterly assessments and HOA fees.

Or maybe in your community, the fact that the developer has conveniently canceled past board elections for a decade or more sticks in your craw. You might also be upset about the conflicts of interest and the self-dealing you see.

Or perhaps it����ap the fact that state and local oversight and enforcement don’t exist because the state statutes governing metro districts don’t require any oversight or enforcement. A metro district is a Pandora’s box to most city and county officials. Matters are generally left to the district����ap board.
Or maybe you’ve picked up on the political strength of the industrial complex feeding off the 2,400 special districts in Colorado. This complex includes developers obviously, but also their chosen attorneys, engineers, accountants, community managers, bond dealers, banks, investors, elected officials and lobbyists. Yes, we can’t forget the poor lobbyists.

The good news: Should you decide to run for the board of your metro district, you will not be alone. Yes, there’s much to learn and it may seem intimidating. However, there is a movement emerging to bring sunlight and support to the citizens who do step up.

It����ap up to us to fix this.

Jeff Brown, Aurora

Keep the “RunRide” service

Re: “ ‘,” Feb. 22 news story

RTD is proposing eliminating the “RunRide” bus service to Boulder for the Bolder Boulder beginning this year. Thousands of participants and spectators travel to Boulder each year on Memorial Day to honor those who sacrificed to make our country what it is today. Changes in bus service are made occasionally based on ridership. But the RunRide buses are often filled to capacity. Let����ap not diminish this Colorado tradition by making it harder for people to attend. Please contact RTD and urge them to keep this service.

Max Noel, Centennial

Don’t understand veterans’ support of President Trump

I’m disappointed to hear that any serviceman or veteran supports President Donald Trump. As a Marine during the Korean War, I don’t understand it. I think they have many reasons to oppose him.

Here are just a few:
• He evaded the draft after a physician wrote a letter that he had bone spurs.
• He trashed Sen. John McCain, an American hero who was tortured while a prisoner of war in Hanoi. Trump said: “I like people who weren’t captured.” After McCain died of cancer, Trump ordered the flag to not be flown at half-staff until public outrage forced him to withdraw the order.
• He questioned the silence of Army Capt. Humayun Khan’s mother during a tribute at the Democratic National Convention, suggesting that she was suppressed for religious reasons. Her son was killed by a suicide bomber in Iraq. She later said she didn’t speak because she feared she would lose her composure.
• He boasted that he is “smarter” than his generals; numerous high-ranking military officials have departed or were fired from their White House positions because they didn’t support his policies.
• He took funds from the Pentagon budget to help pay for the wall on the U.S.-Mexico border after promising that Mexico would pay for it.

In my opinion, two veterans seeking the Democratic nomination for president, Tulsi Gabbard or Pete Buttigieg, would be a better commander in chief.

Irv Sternberg, Denver

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“I’m running for president because we’re facing a crisis that threatens everything we stand for,” Hickenlooper says in a taped announcement while the image of President Donald Trump flashes across the screen. The two-minute video was to be emailed to supporters before dawn.

“I’m running for president because we need dreamers in Washington, but we also need to get things done,” Hickenlooper adds. “I’ve proven again and again I can bring people together to produce the progressive change Washington has failed to deliver.”

He will hold an official kickoff rally Thursday at Civic Center before leaving for two days of campaigning in Iowa, his campaign said. The rally will include a performance by Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats.

Hickenlooper is at least the 14th Democrat to enter the race to unseat President Donald Trump in 2020, with many potential contenders still in the wings. His resume as a former state executive adds a new element to a Democratic primary field that’s the largest and most diverse in history — but also heavy on Washington insiders. The only other governor to announce so far is Jay Inslee of Washington state.

High-profile Democrats such as Sens. Bernie Sanders, Kamala Harris, Elizabeth Warren, Cory Booker, Kirsten Gillibrand and Amy Klobuchar have announced their candidacies, but there is no clear front-runner. Former Vice President Joe Biden has signaled a likely run, as has Texan Beto O’Rourke, who captured the attention of the nation during his failed attempt to unseat Sen. Ted Cruz.

Another Coloradan, Sen. Michael Bennet, is also considering a run.

At Thursday’s rally, Hickenlooper is expected to paint broad policy goals in his speech that will build upon his economic accomplishments in Colorado, especially workforce development. A more robust policy agenda should begin to take form later in March, a spokeswoman for the campaign said.

Policy, however, may take a back seat while Hickenlooper and his team push the idea that he is the most electable candidate in the general election.

Hickenlooper’s biography and his record as a governor who has worked toward bipartisan accomplishments have been appealing to Iowans, even if they’re holding back on choosing a candidate in these early days.

“I’m looking for someone who is well qualified for office and who is willing to reach across the aisle and make deals,” said Bry Walton of Ames, Iowa, who recently saw Hickenlooper speak at an event. “I really admire that in a candidate — a willingness to work with the other party. I like that he’s willing to reach across the aisle and work with the other party.”

The question many Democrats are wrestling with right now — particularly in early states such as Iowa and New Hampshire — is, who would give them the best chance to beat Trump in a general election? Should the party nominate a woman or person of color to expand the electorate? Or should Democrats make an overt appeal to disenfranchised Trump voters in the American Midwest with a more moderate candidate?

“In light of Donald Trump, it’s important to have a voice for women and people of color,” said Elena Bartemes, a biomedical sciences graduate student in Des Moines, Iowa. However, she added, she’s not interested in supporting a candidate who is strictly partisan. “Consensus: That’s the point of government.”

Hickenlooper, 67, is expected to point to his eight years governing Colorado, a modern-day political swing state with an electorate nearly evenly divided among registered Democrats, Republicans and unaffiliated voters. In addition to leading the state during an explosive economic expansion following the Great Recession, Hickenlooper nudged the state to the left. By the time his second term ended in January, he had expanded the state’s Medicaid program, signed comprehensive gun-control legislation and helped establish civil unions for same-sex couples prior to the U.S. Supreme Court legalizing marriage equality.

Hickenlooper, who was a finalist to be Hillary Clinton’s running mate, has hinted for years that he was interested in higher office. He began telegraphing that he was serious about a 2020 run last fall, when he formed a federal leadership committee to raise money to support exploration. In the run-up to the 2018 election, he campaigned for Democrats in Florida, Georgia and Iowa.

Since leaving office in January he has made several trips to Iowa, home of the nation’s first nominating caucus, and the first primary states, New Hampshire and South Carolina. And he has visited with potential donors on both coasts.

Hickenlooper is a long shot for the nomination, political observers suggest. However, Democrats have had success with governors such as Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter in the past.

“He’s not in the top tier just yet,” said Seth Masket, a political science professor at the University of Denver who has written about the 2020 field for the national news site . “But there is a rationale for his candidacy. The top tier of candidates consists mostly of liberal senators. The idea that he might be more competitive in a general election is something people are going to take seriously.”

Hickenlooper is betting that his temperament as a consensus builder, coupled with a track record of progressive policy wins, will appeal to Democrats who want nothing more than to beat Trump.

Many challenges ahead

As Hickenlooper heads to Iowa this weekend for his first trip to an early state as a candidate, he is surrounding himself with loyalists and new blood alike.

The campaign has also hired two organizers in Iowa. Field teams of varying sizes will be developed in other early primary and caucus states, including New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina, according to the campaign.

Hickenlooper will need to raise an estimated $40 million to make it through the early states. His advisers believe it is doable given his large national network of donors dating back to 2008, when he raised money for the Democratic National Convention in Denver.

To help Hickenlooper make inroads with small donors, the campaign is focusing on building up his email list and national profile by putting him on television during the early days of the campaign: He was scheduled to appear on Good Morning America on Monday, according to an advisory. Regular citizens who contribute small amounts are the most sought-after prize in Democratic politics today and one measure of viability the party will use to determine which candidates end up on packed primary debate stages starting in June.

Another challenge for Hickenlooper is building his presence on social media. According to CrowdTangle, a social media analytics website, Hickenlooper’s audience and reach are dwarfed by leading candidates such as Sanders and Harris.

Hickenlooper also awaits a verdict from Colorado’s Independent Ethics Commission, which is investigating whether he violated the state’s prohibition on gifts during this time as governor. Former Republican state House Speaker Frank McNulty alleged last year that Hickenlooper accepted free plane rides and other accommodations as he traveled the world. Hickenlooper has argued he either paid for the flights himself or they do not fall under the state’s constitutional ban because they did not relate to state business.

There is no apparent timeline for when the investigation is scheduled to be completed.

From geologist to governor

In recent weeks, Hickenlooper has told voters in Iowa and New Hampshire that his candidacy is akin to a religious calling. If the path to Monday’s announcement was ordained, it was far from orderly.

Hickenlooper, the youngest of four, was born and raised in a Philadelphia suburb by his mother, who was widowed twice by the time she was 40. His father died after a battle with cancer when Hickenlooper was just 8.

Hickenlooper graduated from Wesleyan University, a liberal arts school in Connecticut, with a bachelor’s degree in English and a master’s in geology. He moved to Colorado to work for an oil company but lost his job during a downturn in the oil market in 1986.

“After six or eight months unemployed, you see a different person in the mirror,” Hickenlooper said in New Hampshire last month, suggesting he can form a bond with some Trump voters over their shared experience of being unemployed. “And you begin to distrust all the things you’ve taken for granted. And like a lot of Americans, I reinvented myself.”

Hickenlooper, who learned how to brew beer in college, would go on to open Colorado’s first brewpub, the Wynkoop. It took off, and within a decade the entrepreneur had breweries across the nation.

Hickenlooper launched his political career in 2003 as a late entrant to the Denver mayoral race. As in the 2020 race, he started low in the polls. But after a few attention-grabbing commercials and promising to balance the city’s budget, he beat six candidates who had long been in public service.

After Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter, another Democrat, decided not to seek re-election in 2010, Hickenlooper entered the race as the clear front-runner. He won his first term the same year Republicans took control of the U.S. House of Representatives amid the rise of the Tea Party movement. Hickenlooper won re-election in 2014.