Thursday Churn: Endorsements flow

Updated 4:45 p.m. – Mayor Michael Hancock is throwing his support behind Anne Rowe in the battle to represent Denver’s District 1 on the DPS board.

Rowe is competing with Emily Sirota for the open southeast Denver seat.

Hancock previously endorsed Happy Haynes for the open at-large seat but hasn’t yet endorsed in northwest Denver’s District 5, where Jennifer Draper Carson is trying to unseat incumbent Arturo Jimenez.

Rowe, 51, is a small business owner and a founding co-chair of A+ Denver. “I am thrilled by Mayor Hancock’s endorsement,” she said.

Meanwhile, Denver Auditor Dennis Gallagher announced he is endorsing Sirota, saying, “Emily will be a great board member for southeast Denver because she is not afraid to tell the truth about the administration. … Emily will raise hell about the fiscal waste and mismanagement which has scandalized this administration.”

Also today, Jimenez announced that he’s been endorsed by the Unified Association of Realtors, which also has endorsed Sirota and at-large candidate Roger Kilgore. The group is a new organization that includes the former Denver Board of Realtors.

What’s churning:

Two election forums this weekend will feature the top supporter and the leading opponent of Proposition 103, the statewide ballot measure that proposes to raise state income and sales taxes to provide additional state support for preschool, K-12 and higher education.

Sen. Rollie Heath, D-Boulder and the author of 103, and former GOP Rep. Victor Mitchell will share the stage at two metro-area forums.

They have a half hour starting at 11:30 a.m. Saturday during the Denver Decides forum at Denver Community Church, 1101 S. Washington St. (Several other forums, mostly for Denver school board candidates, are scheduled earlier that morning.)

They’ll also appear together on Sunday at 12:30 p.m. at Jefferson Unitarian Church, 14350 W. 32nd Ave. in Golden.

Both campaigns have been very low-profile operations to date. Heath’s schedule includes a “meet and greet” at Mike’s Coffee Barn in Alamosa on Friday, and Mitchell is meeting with the Jeffco Republican Women at the county fairgrounds on the same day.

Campaign budgets also are very modest (see story). The next fundraising report, due Monday, will show if the two sides have raised much more money.

See this story for full background on Prop. 103.

What’s on tap:

A Douglas County school board candidate debate sponsored by the American Association of University Women and moderated by the Arapahoe League of Women Voters begins at 6:30 p.m. at Cresthill Middle School in Highlands Ranch.