Commentary: Denver Was There for Me, and I'll Be There for Denver

I’ve never run for office before, and spending time with residents all over this city has only reinforced my love of Denver, and my confidence that together we can make Denver a city that works for every single one of us.

I moved to Denver with my high-school sweetheart back in 1986 because we had our challenges living as a mixed-race couple in rural Montana. Denver provided us with a supportive community where we could get good jobs, buy a home, raise our girls, start small businesses, and build our future.

However, life doesn’t always go as planned. My husband struggled with addiction, and we eventually lost him to suicide. Being a single mom raising two daughters on my own was hard. But I knew I had to be strong for my girls, and Denver was a strong foundation for us as a family.

I started working at the city early in my career, and worked my way up to be then-Mayor John Hickenlooper’s chief of staff, where I oversaw the city’s day-to-day operations, was responsible for over 10,000 employees and managed over $2 billion in budgets. I then went on to be the first woman to lead the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce, where my team and I worked to create more opportunities for women and minority-owned small businesses.

I’m throwing my hat (and high heels) in the ring for mayor because everything in my life, both personal and professional, has prepared me for this moment. I’m not seeking another office after this, and I am not beholden to the out-of-state billionaires who are trying to buy this election for my opponent. I’m running because I truly know and love this city, and Denver needs an honest leader who is committed to getting the job done. That’s me.

One of my top priorities will be to save lives and get our unhoused neighbors to safer locations immediately. I’m the only candidate who would be taking a regional approach on day one, which is endorsed by mayors in the Denver metro area. We know we can’t do it alone. We know that pushing people who are unhoused from one city boundary to the next won’t help them or us. We know the numbers demand more than shelters and tiny homes and that more than one city alone can house.
Collaboration is key. And so is compassion. Allowing people to live on our streets or in our parking lots without any services is no way to live. There is an urgency to this issue that’s only grown since COVID, and we need a leader who starts this work on day one.

Denver used to be a city where a single mom of two girls like me could afford to live, but nowadays families like mine are being pushed out, being left with nowhere to go. I would start to tackle our affordability crisis by building the housing we need to reduce prices. Part of my plan includes building affordable homes on publicly owned land to reduce the cost, building more densely around transportation corridors, and creating homes for every budget.

I am running to represent and serve the people of Denver — not any specific interest group or donor. I have been fully transparent throughout the campaign and will be as mayor. And I have made no promises to any donors or endorsers.

I’ve been the first woman in a few roles in my career, and if I do become mayor, I understand the importance of breaking one more ceiling and the value of our girls being able to “see" what they can be. But that’s not why I’m running.

I’m running because I truly love Denver and I know together we can restore the promise of our city. I share a vision with Denver residents — creating a city that works for all of us. A Denver where we can afford to live in the city we work, where our children get the education they deserve, where we house and shelter those who are most vulnerable, where we feel safe in our neighborhoods and our schools, where we have access to real opportunity and where we each can pursue our dreams.

I love this city — it gave me everything I have today, and I will do everything as mayor to continue to make this a city where working families, like mine, can thrive.

Kelly Brough is a candidate for Denver mayor, former chief of staff to then-Mayor John Hickenlooper, the first woman to lead the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce, and the first woman on-call to plow snow at Stapleton International Airport.

You can vote in the Denver municipal election runoff until 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 6; find the details here.