Today, State Representative Leslie Herod (HD-8) announced her endorsement of Mike Johnston in the runoff election for Denver Mayor. In 2016, Herod became the first LGBTQ+ Black woman elected to the Colorado legislature. She was a leading candidate for mayor and received over ten percent of the vote, one of only five candidates to do so.
“Having shared countless debate and forum stages with Mike over the past months, I know that he has the passion, commitment, and vision to tackle Denver’s toughest problems: affordable housing, safer streets for our families, and the homelessness crisis,” said Representative Herod. “Mike and I share the value of public service, hard work, and doing right by our communities, and I am excited to work with him to deliver on our progressive vision for Denver. Mike has a long track record of getting things done, and I know he will continue that as Mayor.”
Representative Herod had previously chaired the Appropriations Committee and served on the Joint Budget Committee. She has worked across the aisle to pass over 150 pieces of legislation to deliver progressive goals for all Coloradans. Leslie helped to create STAR, an alternative policing program to send first responders who are trained to deal with mental health crises alongside our officers to properly engage our community members who are in need. Leslie developed and successfully championed Caring for Denver, which has allocated more than $100 million to treat mental health and substance abuse issues in Denver. She championed the Crown Act to ensure that employers could no longer discriminate against the hair styles of our minority groups in Colorado. After the death of George Floyd, Rep. Herod led a bipartisan group of legislators to create the first police accountability legislation in the nation which has been adopted and copied across the United States.
“Leslie is a visionary leader who has made Denver a nationwide leader on mental health and alternative approaches to criminal justice through her creation of Caring for Denver and her support of the STAR program,” said Mike Johnston. “Throughout the campaign, I’ve admired her drive to move Denver forward, her passion to serve those who Denver is leaving behind, and her deep focus on equity for every neighborhood. I’m extremely proud to have Leslie’s support and friendship in the runoff, and I’m excited to move our city forward alongside her.”
Representative Herod will join the campaign as a senior advisor. She joins the growing list of endorsers for Mike, including former Mayor Federico Peña, Hon. Dottie Lamm, former Speaker Terrance Carroll and former Senate President Peter Groff, AFSCME Council 18 and several other labor organizations.