Nearly all the candidates running to fill a vacancy on the Denver City Council in the November election say they won’t support extending the city’s contract for license plate-reading cameras and that they want to see tweaks to a major city zoning overhaul proposal.
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The similarities in some responses to a Denver Post questionnaire earlier this month, including about Axon Enterprise’s contract, show how closely aligned many of the candidates are, leaving a difficult decision to Denverites in the highly competitive, crowded race for the at-large seat. In the questionnaire for The Post’s online voter guide, candidates provided their policy views, priorities and backgrounds.
The election, which won’t have a runoff, could be decided by a small number of votes.
The position became vacant when former Councilwoman Sarah Parady resigned in August. It will be up for election again in April.
In response to a question about license plate-reading technology, which used to be operated for the city by Flock Safety, most candidates said they would let the more recent contract with Axon expire in March — unless the city first approves new rules to restrict how law enforcement can use the data.
“I’ve pledged to vote no on every surveillance technology contract and renewal until Denver passes an ordinance that requires disclosure of capabilities and council approval,” wrote Jake Browne, a marketing director and one of the candidates.
“I would not vote to renew the Axon contract,” said Melissa Mejía, a housing policy strategist and consultant. “Before the city adopts surveillance technology, residents deserve clear answers about what data is collected, how long it is retained, who can access it and whether it can be shared with outside agencies. Those safeguards should exist before a contract is approved, not after.”
Denver City Council At-Large vacancy candidate Q&A
Some of the candidates distinguished themselves by saying they wanted to see how effective the tools were before making a decision.
“I am deeply interested in understanding the outcomes of the Axon contract to determine if reductions in crime result from this technology. I would renew the contract only if analysis demonstrates a meaningful public safety benefit while protecting residents’ civil liberties and privacy,” wrote Monica Martinez, the executive director of nonprofit The Fax Partnership.
Three candidates said they wouldn’t approve use of the technology at all.
“We should remove the cameras that are violating our constitutional rights, discontinue our relationship with Axon for these AI-powered cameras, and put ordinances in place to ensure such technologies cannot be deployed in Denver again,” wrote Gabriel Konkle, a software architect.
Views on residential zoning initiative
Nine of the 10 candidates for the open seat responded to The Post’s questionnaire, with Julissa Soto not submitting a response.
Most of the candidates said they would support the city’s “Unlocking Housing Choices” proposal, which the city recently updated, only with a few changes.
The proposal was originally designed to overhaul the city’s zoning laws, allowing developers to build middle-scale housing like duplexes, triplexes and quadplexes in more residential areas. But city officials decided to scale the idea back after receiving pushback from the community and the council, limiting the new rules to allowing more density only near major transit corridors.
“I support this with real protections attached: limits on teardowns, an affordability requirement, and anti-displacement money in the same ordinance,” wrote Cynthia Diaz, who owns Tonantzin Casa de Café on Santa Fe Drive.
Mejía said she supported zoning reform to allow more duplexes and triplexes but added: “I want to see the final proposal include strong protections against displacement, incentives for genuinely affordable housing, and strong standards that discourage the demolition of existing, naturally affordable homes simply to replace them with luxury units.”
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Martinez said she would want to pair the proposal with “low-interest construction loans” that help homeowners add housing stock “in exchange for affordability commitments.”
Whitney Traylor, an attorney, said he supported the goals of the proposal but added, “I would focus the most growth where it delivers the most homes with the fewest tradeoffs: near rail stations, frequent bus corridors, and job centers, allowing more housing types by right.”
The other candidates in the race are Jeff Walker, a former Regional Transportation District director; Raymon Doane, a tax professional; and Alfredo Reyes, a nonprofit executive.
Endorsements and campaign fundraising
Policy positions aren’t the only way that candidates are seeking to distinguish themselves in the crowded field for the Nov. 3 election.
Some have also focused on using the city’s Fair Election Fund, which provides matching of small-dollar donations, and on earning endorsements of current and past city leaders.
Martinez had a major fundraising lead ahead of the other candidates with $161,600 total contributions, including about $82,400 from the Fair Elections Fund, as of Friday.
To qualify for the Fair Elections Fund, candidates must agree to collect at least 100 contributions of at least $5 from Denver residents. Once a candidate qualifies, the city will match donations of up to $50 from Denver residents at a 9-to-1 ratio.
Martinez also has dozens of endorsements, including from current council members Jamie Torres, Amanda Sandoval and Darrell Watson. Denver District Attorney John Walsh, U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, former Mayor Wellington Webb and 17 former council members all gave her their support.
Mejía is the next-closest competitor in fundraising behind Martinez, with about a third of Martinez’s financial support. She has received about $55,600 to boost her campaign, including about $36,000 from the Fair Elections Fund. She also has several endorsements, including from the Denver Democratic Party, Democratic congressional nominee Melat Kiros, state Sen. Julie Gonzales, council member at-large Serena Gonzales Gutierrez and state Rep. Javier Mabrey, a Denver Democrat.
Reyes is in third place in terms of money, with $50,800 in contributions, including about $33,000 from the Fair Elections Fund. He has endorsements from former at-large council members Debbie Ortega and Tim Sandos.
The other candidates who are participating in the Fair Elections Fund are a bit farther behind that group in campaign fundraising, with Browne seeing about $28,000 in total support and Traylor with about $25,000. Former council member Candi CdeBaca endorsed Traylor.
The rest of the candidates, who didn’t qualify for the election fund, each have less than $7,000 in support. Soto loaned herself $50,000 for the campaign but didn’t participate in the Fair Elections Fund.
Mayor Mike Johnston doesn’t plan to endorse anyone in the race, spokesman Jon Ewing said. The second of two Fair Election Fund distributions is set to be released later this week.
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