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Mike Johnston beats Kelly Brough to become Denver’s first new mayor in 12 years

Johnston will take the reins from Denver Mayor Michael Hancock. He will be inaugurated July 17.

Mike Johnston speaks to supporters Tuesday at Union Station in Denver. Johnston is a Vail native who attended the Vail Mountain School.
Olivia Sun/The Colorado Sun via Report for America

Former state Sen. Mike Johnston will be Denver’s next mayor after winning a decisive victory Tuesday over Kelly Brough, the former CEO of the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce, in the city’s runoff election. 

Johnston had 54% of the vote to Brough’s 46% at 10:15 p.m. when Brough conceded. The pair were separated by about 10,500 votes.

“Tonight, we write a new chapter,” Johnston said in his victory speech. “Tonight we start a chapter about a city that’s going to be big enough to care for all of us, to support all of us, to house all of us.”



Johnston, who ran unsuccessfully for governor in 2018 and U.S. Senate in 2020, has vowed to serve only two, four-year terms as mayor. (He’s limited to three.) In an interview with 9News this week he also promised to serve his entire first term even though there will be a gubernatorial race and U.S. Senate race in Colorado in 2026. 

Most recently, Johnston was serving as CEO of Gary Community Ventures, a philanthropic organization focused on policies aimed at improving the lives of children and families across Colorado. Previously, Johnston worked as an education adviser for President Barack Obama and worked as a teacher and school principal. 

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