A Word from Denver Mayoral Candidate Leslie Herod

Representative Leslie Herod (HD-8), who was elected in 2016 as the first Black, LGBTQ member of the General Assembly, is running for mayor of Denver.

Since taking office, she has passed over 150 bills addressing criminal justice reform, mental health, addiction, youth homelessness, business and the arts, and civil rights protections. Her legislative agenda underscores her commitment to improving the lives of all Coloradans, especially those caught in the cycle of poverty or mired in the criminal justice system. Her positions have made her a champion to many on the left, making her a top candidate for mayor.

According to an interview with Denverite, Herod began considering a run for mayor in the last few years and the pandemic crystallized for her the impact local communities have on implementing policies, and what can happen when things don’t get moving on a local level.

She took some time to talk more about her campaign and political ambitions with OFM.

Rep. Herod, can you begin by telling our readers why you are running for mayor?

Yes, I’m running for mayor because Denver is really at a crossroads right now. The city is in a place of growth, but it also has the potential to grow in the wrong direction without guidance. I think a lot of people in Denver right now feel like there’s a lack of vision for the city. Opportunities are coming to whoever can grab them, but they’re not lifting up the entire city, and that’s something that we really need to address.

For me, when I think about why I’m running for mayor, it’s really because I know that I can affect people’s lives in a very real way at the mayoral level. I work on the Joint Budget Committee, and I worked during the COVID response to recovery. I saw how we can direct financial funds to communities quickly if the communities are prepared and ready to accept those resources. Denver has not been ready.

Denver has not been ready to pull down a lot of the opportunities that were provided during a very tough time, and for me, I know that Denver is ready to pull down those resources. Denver is ready to provide services and support to people in our city. Denver is ready to think about affordable housing and the housing crisis that’s going on right now and to act on it. So, for me, I’m running for mayor because I know that Denver is ready for that vision change.

Have you always had a passion and desire to pursue a political career?

To an extent. My mom was an OBGYN in the army, and I think what my family has taught me is that it’s important to be a public servant. It’s important to give back to the communities that you love, but it’s also important to grow and help change those communities for the better for all of us. My mom became an OBGYN because she knew that Black women didn’t have access to good quality care and childbirth. She became an OBGYN to change that, while also fighting for our country.

For me, it’s about being a public servant and ensuring that whatever given skills I have, I’m using them for the greater good. It’s about the people in our community, and right now, it’s really about the people in my own backyard. The people in a city that I love so much.

You have already broken barriers by becoming the first LGBTQ Black woman elected to the Colorado legislature. How significant has that been?

Less significant than I think folks realize. For me, it’s very important that I say that I’m Black, queer, and the first, but it’s even more important that I’m not the last or the only, and I’ll be proud to say that I’m not anymore when that day comes. What’s most important is that we no longer have firsts. That we’ll no longer have the first trans person to serve in the General Assembly like Brianna Titone. That we’ll have our fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, 10th transgender person serving, and that we’ll have our fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, 10th queer Black woman to be the mayor of Denver. That’s what I hope for. I really hope that we get beyond the first, and while I’m so proud of that, I do stand on the shoulders of giants. It’s my hope that we get beyond the first and become the many.

If elected, what are some high-priority issues you hope to tackle first?

I think the big key is getting Denver moving again. Denver is a bit stuck, whether that’s by defining who we are, or the job of the city is not moving forward as much as we’d like. They can see rates within city unemployment are at 30-45 percent. These are at all-time highs, and we’ve got to address that. For me, it’s about getting things done in the city, but additionally, we’ve got to tackle this affordable housing crisis.

That’s number one. If we don’t tackle affordable housing in Denver, and we still can, I want to be clear, we actively can, and we will be a very different city. A city of haves as opposed to a city of people. That’s something that we really need to fight for. We all deserve to be able to live in our communities and be able to afford the neighborhoods that we grew up in or that we love so much.

Right now, Denver is not affordable for many people at all. I don’t care if you are making $40,000 a year to making $100,000 a year to dual income and making $200,000 a year with a family of five. We still don’t necessarily have the housing option that you need for your family, and that’s something that we need to address.

What makes Denver such a special city to you?

Oh my God, I believe it’s the best city in the nation! We are a beautiful city full of beautiful, beautiful people, neighbors who love one another and care about the community, and we have an amazing art and music scene. Additionally, I have always felt supported as a LGBTQ person. Growing up and going to college in Boulder, I always came down to Denver, to Broadway, because that’s where I felt loved and cared for.

We are a mecca, and we are a safe haven for so many people, especially our transgender youth and transgender, Black sisters who are dying across the country. Being targeted and bullied, that is not acceptable here in Denver, and that’s one of the many reasons why I love this place so much. At the end of the day, Denver is truly a city of opportunity and innovation. If the city government came together with the people who are already doing the amazing work, imagine what could happen.

Since taking office in the General Assembly, you have helped pass over 150 bills, several of them dealing with criminal justice and mental health. Why are these two issues so important to you?

Because of the disproportionate treatment that we’ve seen. We know about this, and we’ve talked about this for decades and generations. We’ve got to really think about how we’re tackling the criminal justice system to make sure that we are truly focusing on public safety, and public safety isn’t throwing someone in prison who needs access to mental healthcare. They’ll come out and do the same thing.

Public safety and criminal justice reform must be looked at holistically. Are we investing the same amount of money in our kids’ education as we are in prison? We’re not, so what does that say about our values of society? We’ve got to ride that ship. One thing I did was, I created STAR, which is Support Team Assisted Response in Denver. It’s the alternative response for 911.

If you call 911 and inform them that there’s a mental health crisis, you’ll get an EMT and a mental health professional. We created that model here in Denver, and now it’s a model for the entire country. That’s something that I brought here from Eugene, Oregon after seeing the amazing work of the CAHOOTS team.

So, those are things that we can do in Colorado. Those are things that we can do in Denver because like I said, Denver is a city of innovation. Since putting STAR in place, we’ve had zero negative instances. We’ve gotten people the help they need, and that’s what matters.

Do you have any ambition to run for higher office in the future?

You know, let’s focus on this one first! (Laughs). Let’s get through this one first.

Before we wrap up, is there anything else you would like to mention or talk about?

The one thing I’ll mention because this is OUT FRONT, I’m so proud of this state and so many others that have said they’re not going to elect me or others because we’re gay or we’re somewhere in that rainbow spectrum. Really, it is a part of who we are as a community. It’s a part of who we are, and having representation that is visible, but also different, dynamic, and diverse, is so beautiful.

We have one of the most diverse LGBTQ caucuses in the nation, which is really cool, and it demands the most from us because that’s what we do. That’s our job, but man, it’s great to see and it’s so amazing to watch as elected officials like myself go out and support the next generation of elected officials, like the kids at Dragutante. It is so beautiful, and we should celebrate that.

To stay up-to-date with Herod’s campaign, as well as support, donate, or connect, visit leslieformayor.com.

Photos courtesy of Julius Garrido