Hot tamale! HOSTPAC endorses Denver City Council candidate

John Haney is a Denver cop who happens to own a neighborhood joint, Haney's Coffee Shop. Susan Shepherd is a Highland Mommy who's all about urban farming. Jon Lehmann even has a campaign chef. They're all among the ten candidates running for the District 1 Denver City Council seat recently...

By Patricia Calhoun

April 22, 2010

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John Haney is a Denver cop who happens to own a neighborhood joint, Haney's Coffee Shop. Susan Shepherd is a Highland Mommy who's all about urban farming. Jon Lehmann even has a campaign chef.

They're all among the ten candidates running for the District 1 Denver City Council seat recently vacated by Rick Garcia. So which candidate did HOSTPAC, the Colorado Restaurant Association's PAC, recently endorse?

State senator Paula Sandoval.

Why? Among other reasons, she was the only one to ask for an endorsement, explains Pete Meersman, head of the CRA. But that wasn't the most important reason.

"Paula Sandoval has been very supportive of restaurant issues in the legislature," explains Meersman, "She's in our business."

Paula Sandoval and her husband, Paul, own Tamales by la Casita at 3561 Tejon Street.

And by the way, while Sandoval asked for an endorsement, she didn't ask for any campaign contributions. Since she's still a state senator, such donations can get sticky.

Watch for the District 1 candidates' answers to Joel Warner's questionnaire on the Latest Word blog.

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Patricia Calhoun is editor-in-chief of Westword, the alt-weekly she co-founded in September 1977. She’s been inducted into the Colorado Press Association Hall of Fame, the Association of Alternative Newsmedia Hall of Fame and the Colorado Restaurant Association Hall of Fame. She’s also received dozens of local, state and national awards for writing, including first place for feature writing and first place for column writing with the Society of Professional Journalists. Patricia is a weekly commentator on Colorado Inside Out, PBS 12's public affairs roundtable, which has won two Emmys.

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