Lisa Calderón, Penfield Tate Endorse Jamie Giellis for Mayor

Jamie Giellis just got a boost in the mayoral runoff after receiving endorsements from Lisa Calderon and Penfield Tate.

May 13, 2019

Image: Jamie Giellis will face Mayor Michael Hancock in the runoff.

Jamie Giellis will face Mayor Michael Hancock in the runoff. jamiefordenver.com

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A week before runoff ballots drop, former Denver mayoral candidates Penfield Tate and Lisa Calderón have endorsed Jamie Giellis in her race against Mayor Michael Hancock.

While neither of the endorsements are particularly ringing for Giellis, both read as stern disapproval of Hancock.

"Giving the incumbent four more years to groom a replacement essentially means 12 more years of Hancock through his successor," Calderón said in a statement.

Tate, a former state legislator, referred to endorsing Giellis "as the most appropriate path for [him]."

Tepid as they may seem, the endorsements will definitely help Giellis's chances. Combined, Tate and Calderón got 33.18 percent of the votes in the May 7 election. If those same voters come out for Giellis in the June 4 runoff, she has a good shot at defeating Hancock.

Giellis, for her part, says she is excited about the support.

“Our perspectives are unique and our concerns about the issues are much aligned. I believe that this team of former rivals can lead Denver together to overcome the extraordinary challenges our city is facing, and do so in a creative, equitable way," she said in a statement.

The former RiNo Art District president took home the second-highest percentage of votes, with 24.88 percent, while Hancock got 38.65 percent. Five Denver City Council races and the Denver Clerk and Recorder position are also in the June 4 runoff.

Conor McCormick-Cavanagh is a former staff writer at Westword, where he covered a range of beats, including local politics, immigration and homelessness. He previously worked as a journalist in Tunisia and loves to talk New York sports; he now lives in upstate New York.

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