Education: As a father of two teenagers in Denver Public Schools, my wife and I know firsthand how the painful cuts to our education funding have impacted our children and their teachers. This is why funding public education has been one of my top priorities throughout my time in the legislature. Having served on the Appropriations, Finance, and Joint Budget Committees, I have worked hard to take care of our schools, teachers, and students. From leading a $325M funding increase for schools, to supporting full-day Kindergarten, to standing with teachers as they advocated for better wages, I have consistently supported our education systems in the legislature and will continue to do so as Denver’s next Mayor. 

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As Mayor, I will work with the Denver School Board to pursue the possibility of having a member of the Mayor’s administration on the Board to increase coordination and reduce inefficiencies. If we acknowledge that great public schools are necessary for a strong urban center like Denver, it feels reasonable to have direct representation from the Mayor’s office to ensure that decisions being made by the district are reflective of larger issues in the city. For instance, if there were a representative from the city who was a member of the Board, then the recent proposal to close a school that is near a significant new housing development would not have advanced as far as it did. We cannot afford to have that kind of disconnect, which creates problems for families, students and the district down the line, in addition to the glaring inefficiency of those proceedings. 

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Enviro/Energy: As someone who has spent over two decades working in the environmental and energy policy space, I recognize and understand the seriousness of our climate crisis, and have built a career around tackling this issue with urgency. Every day, we witness the harmful effects of the changing climate that have a direct impact on tourism, jobs, and the natural beauty that Denver has to offer. I have run over 40 different bills in the legislature to address the climate crisis with evidence-based policy proposals, and I will continue to be a leader in proposing new solutions to allow Denver to reach its energy goals. Please take a look at my Plan to Build a Greener Denver to see what I will do as Mayor to make Denver the greenest city in the US. 

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Healthcare: The pandemic laid bare the inequalities and major flaws in our healthcare system, and I am committed to ensuring that we increase accessibility and affordability for all of Denver, regardless of income. We must look at creative options for lowering health care costs on the private insurance market, and group plans that lower overheads by reducing administrative costs and creating health care outcome collaboratives have shown promise in many jurisdictions. One tool that has been effective in this regard is reinsurance, a program I supported and voted for, which has reduced insurance premiums on the individual market by approximately 20%. In addition to my efforts to reduce healthcare costs, I have been an ardent advocate for the intellectually and developmentally disabled community. As a member of the Joint Budget Committee, I helped find the funding to reduce the IDD waitlist by 10%, and will continue to prioritize this community in the future.

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Fiscal Policy: In the 2020 legislative session, we faced a $3.3 billion general fund deficit that forced us to make difficult decisions about where to cut and where to prioritize funding. To address this issue--without raising taxes--I was proud to lead the bipartisan effort to put the Gallagher Repeal on the ballot. By voting to repeal, and thus freezing property tax assessment rates, we protected close to $500 million annually for our schools, hospitals, fire districts, and community services. 

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Economic Growth: My experience working in one of Colorado’s most leading-edge companies and working across the economic spectrum at the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce gives me a solid background to pursue policies that will support innovative companies, small businesses in the state and foster economic growth. We must also work to restore fairness and opportunity as our economy grows. I have worked hard in my time in office on the Appropriations, Finance, and Joint Budget Committees to promote economic development and ensure every Coloradan has an equal chance at success. Additionally, I am proud to have been endorsed by several labor unions and organizations throughout my various campaigns for office, including Colorado WINS, Southwest Regional Council of Carpenters, SEIU Local 105, the Colorado Contractors Association, and I’m currently endorsed by the Teamsters and Colorado Cleantech Industries in my run for Mayor.