Candidate Tracker

Where do your City Council candidates stand on the issues that matter? This guide compiles what the public record tells us about each candidate in the 2027 races - their positions, backgrounds, and track records.

Looking for the mayor's race? See the Mayoral Tracker.

2027 Election Map

All 13 council seats are on the ballot April 6, 2027 (runoff June 1). As of June 2026 we're tracking early declared candidates across 9 races; the field is not final until the December 16, 2026 filing deadline.

Open Seat

District 2

Southwest Denver

Flynn term-limited · 3 candidates

Open Seat

District 6

Southeast Denver

Kashmann term-limited · 3 candidates

Open Seat

District 11

Far Northeast Denver

Gilmore term-limited · 2 candidates

Contested

Districts 7, 8, 9, 10

2 candidates filed per district

Includes Alvidrez (D7), Lewis (D8), Hinds (D10)

Contested

At-Large · At-Large B

Citywide seats

Gonzales Gutierrez, Harding, Parady

Not Yet Tracked

Districts 1, 3, 4, 5

No candidates filed yet

Updates added as candidates announce

District 2 - Southwest Denver

Kevin Flynn is term-limited. Candidates who have filed so far are below; the field is not final until the December 16, 2026 deadline. Election: April 6, 2027. Runoff (if needed): June 1, 2027.

Paul Pazen

Former DPD Chief (2018-2022)

What We Know From the Public Record

Launched both STAR and LEAD programs during his tenure as chief. DA Beth McCann credited Pazen with overseeing their creation.
Named public safety, small business support, and preventing gentrification of southwest Denver as top priorities for his campaign.
Banned chokeholds and marched in George Floyd protests (June 2020). However, unsealed department memos described "leadership failure" during the protest response.
28-year DPD veteran, U.S. Marine, lived in southwest Denver for 30 years. Master's in homeland security from Naval Postgraduate School.

Tran Nguyen-Wills

Deputy Director of Outreach, Mayor Johnston's Office

What We Know From the Public Record

Deputy outreach director in Mayor Johnston's office. Johnston's administration has supported STAR program funding.
Born and raised in Denver to Vietnamese refugees. Would be the first Asian American to serve on Denver City Council.
Organized mutual aid initiatives during COVID, including an equitable walk-in vaccine clinic for workers left out of initial rollouts. Co-founded Denver Community Fridges to address food insecurity.
Planned Parenthood board member. Has advocated against gun violence alongside students and activists. Championed Lunar New Year as a state holiday.
Small business owner (Base Coat Salon). Campaign emphasizes community sustainability and inclusive leadership.

Our Approach

This is a public-record guide, not an endorsement. The candidate field reflects the state of the race as of June 2026 and is not final until the Denver Elections Division filing deadline of December 16, 2026.

"What We Know From the Public Record" sections are sourced from news reporting, campaign materials, and official records. For the complete, current candidate list, see the Denver Elections Division candidate tracker. Corrections welcome - email us or open a GitHub issue.

District 6 - Southeast Denver

Paul Kashmann is term-limited. Candidates who have filed so far are below; the field is not final until the December 16, 2026 deadline. Election: April 6, 2027. Runoff (if needed): June 1, 2027.

Mark Montoya

Candidate

What We Know From the Public Record

Filed to run for Denver City Council District 6 in the April 2027 election.
We will update this section as campaign information becomes available.

Matt Walter

Council Aide & Policy Professional

What We Know From the Public Record

Senior Council Aide for Denver City Council, working under term-limited District 6 Councilmember Paul Kashmann. Previous experience at the U.S. House of Representatives.
Graduate of the University of Denver, Josef Korbel School of International Studies. No campaign website publicly available at this time.

Joel Cox

Environmental Consultant & Neighborhood Organizer

What We Know From the Public Record

Filed for District 6 on February 23, 2026, participating in the Fair Elections Fund.
Independent environmental consultant whose work connects to Colorado's Greenhouse Gas Reduction Roadmap. Chairs the Inter-Neighborhood Cooperation Zoning & Planning Committee and serves on the Mayor's Commission on Nonprofit Engagement.
Mobility chair for the University Park neighborhood organization; proposed a "First Mile Free" transit pilot. Campaign site: joelfordenver.com.

Our Approach

District 7 - West Denver

Candidates who have filed so far are below; the field is not final until the December 16, 2026 deadline. Election: April 6, 2027. Runoff (if needed): June 1, 2027.

Flor Alvidrez

Incumbent · Small Business Owner

What We Know From the Public Record

Incumbent District 7 council member elected in the June 2023 runoff. First representative from the west side of I-25 to hold the District 7 seat. Grew up in Athmar Park as a first-generation Denverite; her father, a Mexican immigrant, earned his GED at Emily Griffith and started a construction business. University of Denver graduate.
Small business owner who is part-owner of her family's concrete contracting company and runs a separate real estate business. Served on Denver's Division of Small Business Opportunity Construction Empowerment Initiative Committee.
Voted no on the 2026 city budget (November 2025), one of six council members to reject it, citing a lack of transparency. Voted yes on the unanimous 2025 rezoning reform aimed at addressing historical disparities and preventing displacement.
Policy priorities center on affordability and anti-displacement. Has called for updating AMI thresholds for affordable housing programs, reforming the permitting process, and removing four-year degree requirements from entry-level city positions. Endorsed in 2023 by the Denver Firefighters and Denver Area Labor Federation.
Community board service includes the Denver Advancing Equity in Rezoning task force, DRCOG Civic Academy, Latino Cultural Arts Center board, and former Flatirons Habitat for Humanity board member.

William Fenton II

Candidate

What We Know From the Public Record

Filed to run for Denver City Council District 7 in the April 2027 election.
We will update this section as campaign information becomes available.

District 8 - Northeast Denver

Candidates who have filed so far are below; the field is not final until the December 16, 2026 deadline. Election: April 6, 2027. Runoff (if needed): June 1, 2027.

Shontel Lewis

Incumbent · Former RTD Board Member

What We Know From the Public Record

Incumbent District 8 council member elected in the June 2023 runoff (51%). Born and raised in Denver's historic Five Points neighborhood; attended Manual High School. Experienced displacement from Five Points due to rising housing costs before purchasing a home in East Colfax.
Served on the RTD Board of Directors from 2019 to 2022, where she chaired the Performance Committee. Previously served as VP of Equity at the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless and as Director of Engagement and Strategy at Denver Public Schools.
Identified as part of the council's progressive bloc. Named social housing as a top 2025 priority. Advocates for housing-first policies and tenant protections. Supported the council effort to secure nearly $30 million in rental assistance in the 2024 budget.
Supports Vision Zero traffic-calming infrastructure and a citywide protected bike network. On RTD, led proposals for free fare on Election Day and shifting transit security budgets toward social worker outreach.
Served on the Denver Women's Commission, Walk Denver Policy Committee, and the Denver Preschool Program board. 2023 endorsements included SEIU Local 105, Denver DSA, Sierra Club, and Denver Area Labor Federation.

Teddy McCullough

Indigenous Rights Advocate

What We Know From the Public Record

Commissioner on the Denver American Indian Commission, a mayoral advisory board under the city's Office of Human Rights and Community Partnerships. Involved in advocacy that led to the council's 2025 vote making Indigenous Peoples Day a paid city holiday.
Opinion contributor to Colorado Politics. Filed to run for Denver City Council District 8 in the April 2027 election. No campaign website or detailed platform publicly available at this time.

District 9 - North Denver

Candidates who have filed so far are below; the field is not final until the December 16, 2026 deadline. Election: April 6, 2027. Runoff (if needed): June 1, 2027.

Hamilton Nickoloff

Homelessness Services Director

What We Know From the Public Record

Executive Director of Sol Hom Supportive Services, where he leads a team of Peer Support Navigators serving people experiencing homelessness. Certified peer specialist with personal lived experience of homelessness and addiction; now nine years sober.
Works at Elevated Denver's Community Resource Connection Hub in the Westwood neighborhood. Holds a BS in Social Policy and Human Welfare from Metropolitan State University of Denver.
Previously worked at the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless and the Colorado Village Collaborative. Has spoken publicly on Denver's peer support workforce at conferences including Public Health of the Rockies.

Darrell Watson

Incumbent · Finance & JEDI Consultant

What We Know From the Public Record

Incumbent District 9 council member elected in the June 2023 runoff, defeating then-incumbent Candi CdeBaca with 62% of the vote. First openly gay man elected to Denver City Council. Born in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands; first-generation graduate of UC Denver.
Career in finance at U.S. Bank and TIAA. In 2020, co-founded the Watson Wenk Group with his husband Mike, a consulting firm focused on justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI) for government agencies and nonprofits.
Founding chair of the Housing Stability Strategic Advisors board, which co-developed the Expanding Housing Affordability policy - Denver's only affordable housing mandate. Has proposed fast-tracking affordable housing by adding permit-team staff and converting downtown office space to housing.
Former co-chair of the Denver Biased Policing Task Force, which updated DPD training to reduce biased policing. Former chair of the Denver Parks and Recreation Advisory Board and founding chair of the Denver Park Trust.
Former president of the Whittier Neighborhood Association. Vice-chair of the Land Use, Transportation & Infrastructure Committee; member of the Safety, Housing, Education & Homelessness Committee.

District 10 - Central Denver

Candidates who have filed so far are below; the field is not final until the December 16, 2026 deadline. Election: April 6, 2027. Runoff (if needed): June 1, 2027.

Chris Hinds

Incumbent · Disability Rights Advocate

What We Know From the Public Record

Incumbent District 10 council member, first elected in 2019 and re-elected in June 2023 with 55% of the vote. Background in computer science and finance (CS degree and MBA from SMU). A 2008 cycling accident resulted in a spinal cord injury; Hinds became the first elected official in Denver's history to use a wheelchair.
Before running for office, spent years as a disability rights advocate. In May 2018, Governor Hickenlooper signed the Chris Hinds Act into law, creating statewide protections against fraudulent use of disability parking - the result of hundreds of hours of Hinds' research and advocacy.
Co-sponsored the bill that raised Denver's minimum wage. Voted yes on the Expanding Housing Affordability policy requiring developers to include income-restricted units. Co-sponsored legislation to permanently codify safe outdoor camping sites for people experiencing homelessness.
Supports expanding the STAR program to 24/7 citywide coverage alongside increased police staffing. Advocates for a Housing First approach and supports the city's motel-to-housing conversions.
Made national news in 2023 when he had to drag himself onto a debate stage that lacked wheelchair accessibility, drawing attention to ADA compliance failures. District 10 covers Capitol Hill, Uptown, and parts of downtown Denver.

Sean Staggs

Candidate

What We Know From the Public Record

Filed to run for Denver City Council District 10 in the April 2027 election.
We will update this section as campaign information becomes available.

District 11 - Far Northeast Denver

Candidates who have filed so far are below; the field is not final until the December 16, 2026 deadline. Election: April 6, 2027. Runoff (if needed): June 1, 2027.

Kayla Greathouse

Policy Analyst & Disaster Recovery Specialist

What We Know From the Public Record

Disaster Recovery Specialist at the U.S. Small Business Administration (4+ years). Political Science student at Metropolitan State University of Denver with an emphasis on International Relations.
Stated policy interests include affordable housing policy, criminal justice prevention policy, and sustainable community development. No campaign website publicly available at this time.

Brande Micheau

Former Council Constituent Services Director

What We Know From the Public Record

Currently serves as Programs Specialist at the Colorado Office of the Child's Representative. Previously served as Director of Constituent Services for Denver City Council (starting 2011), performing duties related to city policy in zoning, economic development, safety, and urban planning.
Previously worked with the Denver Elections Division developing voter outreach programs in disenfranchised communities. MS in Organizational Management from Colorado State University-Global Campus. Named one of the "African Americans Who Make A Difference" by Denver Urban Spectrum.

At-Large

Candidates who have filed so far are below; the field is not final until the December 16, 2026 deadline. Election: April 6, 2027. Runoff (if needed): June 1, 2027.

Serena Gonzales Gutierrez

Incumbent · Former State Rep. (HD-4)

What We Know From the Public Record

Incumbent at-large council member elected April 2023 with the most votes of any candidate in the nine-candidate at-large field. Previously served as Colorado State Representative for House District 4 (2019-2023), winning election in 2018, 2020, and 2022.
Worked at Denver Human Services as a social caseworker connecting families to community resources. Previously served as Director of the Denver Collaborative Partnership, as a victim advocate supporting domestic violence survivors, and as a youth counselor. B.A. in Psychology from Colorado State University.
In the state legislature, sponsored legislation on equal pay, air quality protections for communities like Globeville and Elyria-Swansea, tenant rights, criminal justice reform, and guardianship for vulnerable youth ages 18-21.
On council, identified housing as the most pressing issue facing Denver. Co-sponsored a charter amendment to extend collective bargaining rights to approximately 7,000 additional city employees. Served on the committee reviewing the 2024 affordable housing sales tax measure.
Granddaughter of Rodolfo "Corky" Gonzales, the Chicano civil rights activist and boxing champion. Born and raised in North Denver, fourth-generation Denver family. 2023 endorsements included Denver Area Labor Federation, EMILY's List, and Colorado Working Families Party.

Michael Harding

Candidate

What We Know From the Public Record

Filed to run for Denver City Council At-Large in the April 2027 election.
We will update this section as campaign information becomes available.

At-Large Seat B

One candidate has filed for the At-Large Seat B council position. Election: April 6, 2027. Runoff (if needed): June 1, 2027.

Sarah Parady

Incumbent · Labor & Civil Rights Attorney

What We Know From the Public Record

Incumbent at-large council member elected in April 2023. Co-founded the law firm Lowrey Parady Lebsack, focused on workers' rights, civil rights, and employment discrimination. Holds a JD from NYU School of Law and clerked for Judge Carlos F. Lucero on the U.S. Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Primary drafter of the Colorado Equal Pay for Equal Work Act (2019), which made Colorado a national leader in pay transparency. Won one of the largest disability discrimination verdicts in Colorado history and recovered hundreds of thousands in stolen wages for 200 drywall workers.
Led the council effort to secure nearly $30 million in rental assistance in the 2024 city budget, using a veto-proof majority to push through $13.5 million in additional funding. Advocates for tenant protections, eviction defense, and city-owned "social housing."
Supports expanding the STAR program and housing-first approaches to homelessness. Has called encampment sweeps "wasteful and inhumane." Supports upzoning and density to address housing costs.
Started her legal career at Colorado Legal Services during the 2008-2009 foreclosure crisis. Lives in the Whittier neighborhood. Grew up in Rock Springs, Wyoming.