While numbers were still being tallied, Watson was quick to declare victory during his election watch party at Tracks nightclub in RiNo, telling reporters at around 9 p.m. that his campaign felt confident enough to do so on account of his widening lead.
CdeBaca did not concede that night; people from Watson's camp said late Tuesday that her campaign team had not reached out to them to wave the white flag. It wasn't until the final release of election results today, June 7, that the councilwoman offered a statement accepting defeat.
"While the results in my race are not what I hoped for, the goal in this election was to bring more progressive candidates to the table," CdeBaca said, referring to Shontel Lewis, who had the lead in District 8, and Shannon Hoffman, who made the runoff for District 10.
"This was never about 'Candi' — this was about building power for community, to shift the way that our city moves," she continued. "More people are paying attention and getting involved across districts, and those are wins we can build on. I see our work in this election cycle as VERY consequential. We had a net gain in our two progressive votes on council, we defeated a disastrous proposal to develop our last tract of open space in already extremely gentrifying and green space-deprived communities, AND we brought a community candidate within less than 2 percentage points of being in a mayoral runoff."
Speaking to her constituents directly, CdeBaca said she was "grateful" for the community and for "everyone who poured their hearts and souls" into supporting her these past four years.
"We have been building the best world possible with what resources we have, and we have been fighting for what everyone deserves," the councilwoman said. "Our wins happen daily, and no election will ever determine our worth or work ethic. We were serving District 9 before coming into office, and we will continue that work far beyond elected office."
The unapologetic socialist has been a controversial figure in Denver politics since her election to council in June 2019. She quickly gained a reputation for being the sole "no" vote on issues and not cooperating with her fellow councilmembers. "This was never about 'Candi' — this was about building power for community, to shift the way that our city moves," she continued. "More people are paying attention and getting involved across districts, and those are wins we can build on. I see our work in this election cycle as VERY consequential. We had a net gain in our two progressive votes on council, we defeated a disastrous proposal to develop our last tract of open space in already extremely gentrifying and green space-deprived communities, AND we brought a community candidate within less than 2 percentage points of being in a mayoral runoff."
Speaking to her constituents directly, CdeBaca said she was "grateful" for the community and for "everyone who poured their hearts and souls" into supporting her these past four years.
"We have been building the best world possible with what resources we have, and we have been fighting for what everyone deserves," the councilwoman said. "Our wins happen daily, and no election will ever determine our worth or work ethic. We were serving District 9 before coming into office, and we will continue that work far beyond elected office."
“I don’t vote ‘no’ for fun,” CdeBaca told Denverite in March 2022. “I vote ‘no’ on things we should vote no on, and do it unapologetically.”
The District 9 race was much closer in the initial municipal election on April 4, when CdeBaca led the pack with 44.24 percent of the vote ahead of Watson's 42.93 percent and self-ousted candidate Kwon Atlas's 12.83 percent. District 9 covers most of north Denver and includes City Park West, Five Points, Cole, Globeville and Elyria Swansea, among other neighborhoods.
While voter turnout can often be a scapegoat in runoff results, the June 6 election only saw a 2.42 percent dip in numbers — with 16,538 ballots cast compared to 18,088 in the April election, according to figures released on June 7, when Watson was said to be ahead of CdeBaca by 3,542 votes.
What's even more surprising about the results, though, is the disparity between the vote and the size of CdeBaca's and Watson's social media followings: The councilwoman has over 11,000 followers on Twitter and over 4,000 followers on Instagram; Watson had just over 400 followers on Twitter and fewer than 100 followers on IG as of Wednesday.
CdeBaca and her campaign were supported by the Colorado Working Families Party and Democratic Socialists of America. Issues near and dear to her heart included affordable housing, creating a "peace force" to take the place of police officers, and a widely ridiculed reparations idea that included taxing white-owned businesses and giving the extra money to Black- and brown-owned businesses
Things got so heated after the reparations idea was floated at a public forum in early May that CdeBaca began getting death threats and hateful messages from people all over the country.
"It's basically flooded [CdeBaca's] social media with a bunch of white nationalists," said a source close to the councilwoman. "This once again shows just how difficult it is to be a progressive woman of color in politics," her camp said in a statement.
CdeBaca was speaking to residents and local leaders at the Greater Metro Denver Ministerial Alliance Forum on May 4 when she brought up the reparations idea. Video of the council rep talking about taxing white-owned businesses was posted on CdeBaca's social media channels and then reshared by Libs of TikTok on Twitter, where it's been watched more than four million times.
Denver City Council member Candi CdeBaca, who is running for re-election, says white owned businesses should be taxed extra and redistributed to black owned businesses. pic.twitter.com/s9JhSdAmtj
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) May 5, 2023
In April 2023, CdeBaca was accused of not showing attention to Denver's Black community during the election after she was unable to attend multiple meetings organized by Black leaders. Longtime political consultant John Bailey blasted her for being a "no show" for two runoff candidate forums he hosted with the Black community.
"YOU DON'T HAVE THE TIME FOR US - WE WON'T SUPPORT OR VOTE FOR YOU," said Bailey, founder of the Black Cannabis Equity Initiative, in an email sent to CdeBaca and community members.
Bailey said that when CdeBaca was asked to appear at the candidate forums — scheduled for two Saturdays at New Hope Baptist Church — she declined. According to CdeBaca, she couldn't make the meetings because of the short notice.
"[Bailey] reached out to me after dates were scheduled with only a week's notice in the middle of a runoff," she said, adding that there was "no effort to collaborate on a time that works, no courtesy of a request for dates that work."
"YOU DON'T HAVE THE TIME FOR US - WE WON'T SUPPORT OR VOTE FOR YOU," said Bailey, founder of the Black Cannabis Equity Initiative, in an email sent to CdeBaca and community members.
Bailey said that when CdeBaca was asked to appear at the candidate forums — scheduled for two Saturdays at New Hope Baptist Church — she declined. According to CdeBaca, she couldn't make the meetings because of the short notice.
"[Bailey] reached out to me after dates were scheduled with only a week's notice in the middle of a runoff," she said, adding that there was "no effort to collaborate on a time that works, no courtesy of a request for dates that work."
While there's no doubt that CdeBaca is a polarizing figure, District 9 voters wound up jumping ship to Watson en masse as he pushed for issues like social equity and public safety while keeping a low profile.
"Thank you for entrusting me with the opportunity of serving you on Denver City Council," Watson told supporters at his Tuesday night watch party. "I want to express my gratitude to each of you who believed in our shared vision and joined on this journey. Your dedication, your many prayers and support and hard work made this victory possible tonight."
It was an emotional night for councilman-elect Darrell Watson as he became Denver's first openly queer man to be elected to council.
Evan Semón
"Those queer kids in Denver and the Western Slope and eastern plains who don't believe their voices can be heard, we will say it loud and clear," Watson said. "I'm deeply humbled and honored to stand before you as your newly elected councilmember representing all of the fine District 9."
In her June 7 statement, CdeBaca declared that "I will not stop fighting alongside my community for a city that truly cares for all of its people, because District 9 and Denver are my heart, always."
The soon-to-be-civilian went on to call out her "real opponents" in the Mile High City, whom she describes as "the faceless Denver power brokers and big-money interests."
These groups "spent an unprecedented amount of money to buy back this City Council seat — over $888,000, most of it from dark money independent expenditures spreading disinformation and weaponizing misogyny and racism," CdeBaca charged. "They’ll be expecting a big return on that investment."
The councilwoman concluded, "While the overpowering misinformation and anonymity worked to confuse an exhausted electorate this time, we must be more vigilant than ever and demand transparency and openness from your newly elected officials now that the fox is guarding the henhouse."
