Recent commentary on the impending 2019 Mayoral race in Denver has speculated on whether the incumbent, Michael Hancock, is in peril. At one level it is probably wise to figure any incumbent, anywhere today, is well advised to regularly glance over his or her shoulder. The electorate seems unusually restive, irritable and angry. One of Colorado’s new generation of political consultants, Ben Gelt, noted recently in the Denver Post that none of Hancock’s nine declared opponents appears to have caught fire. All of which leads to the question of charisma. What is it, who has it and how or when do we recognize it? After 40 years in Colorado’s arena I’ve concluded it is a misperception to think of political charisma as an inherent component of a candidate’s personality. Rather, for the most part, it is the projection of inchoate aspirations embraced by voters onto a chosen candidate.

That candidate, in turn, needs to be supple enough to mirror these unexpressed desires back to voters – to embody the change voters may not realize they are seeking. The campaign becomes a public negotiation. And, once launched, this conversation can move from a wisp of smoke to a prairie fire with astonishing speed. For those who lived in Denver 36 years ago, Federico Peña entered the mayor’s race in December with 3 percent name recognition. Yes, he had just served two years as the Democratic minority leader in the Colorado House, but during a period of Republican dominance in the Legislature this was hardly a position of either prominence or power. He was challenging a 14-year incumbent in Bill McNichols, who was viewed as a competent if uninspiring custodian for the city.

Peña’s Democratic colleagues, including myself, could offer ample testimony to his intellect and likeability, as well as his legislative shrewdness and skills as a debater and speaker. Yet charisma would not have made this list of talents. He had not even been the caucus preference for unseating Pueblo Democrat Bob Kirscht as minority leader. Assistant minority leader Rich Castro could not secure the vote of Pueblo Representative Leo Lucero, however, so Federico was recruited to take his place. His decision to depart the Legislature and run for Mayor appeared quixotic and unlikely to succeed. Wellington Webb, who was also running in 1983, and Federico approached me together and asked that I run for Denver County Democratic Chair.

The county party apparatus had been under the control of either the district attorney, Dale Tooley, who was also running for mayor for a third time, or the mayor himself. My election, while unexpected, portended a largely unnoticed generational change in Democratic Party leadership. It provided an excellent perch, however, from which to observe the election campaign that ensued. I was invited to attend a rally at the Peña headquarters following the St. Patrick’s Day parade in a small warehouse on 14th Street across from today’s Justice Center. More than 300 supporters were stuffed into a hot, musty basement chanting Peña, Peña, Peña! It was my first clue a wildfire had ignited. When Federico arrived the crowd went nuts. He had indisputably become charismatic.

What happened in fewer than 90 days? In politics it’s always crucial for success that opportunity is met with preparation. The Peña campaign was under the command of experienced campaign hands. They had overturned Colorado’s 1976 Olympic bid in ’72 and propelled Dick Lamm into the governor’s office in ’74, ’78 and ’82. A little luck never hurts, either. The McNichols administration botched snow removal following the Christmas Eve blizzard of ’82 and a follow-up blast in March. Voters were reminded of this by 9 inches of wet snow falling on Election Day in May.

But the real victory was capturing the mood of voters. Yuppies (young urban professionals, indistinguishable from today’s Millennials) didn’t want to reside in the best and biggest cow town in America. They envisioned Denver as what the Roman Empire designated a Provincial Capital – not the Queen City of the Plains, but the urban heart of the Rocky Mountain Region. Peña’s campaign slogan, “Imagine a Great City” resonated with that wish. None of this is to take away from Federico’s considerable skills as a retail campaigner. His special talent is a capacity to make an audience, even at the tail end of a fatiguing day, feel that this event – this conversation – is the one he has been looking forward to since early morning.

And so Michael Hancock’s future may be determined more by what voters think of his management of what has been eight years of exploding growth, congestion and rising costs for Denver residents. If their judgment is that he has done as well as could be expected under the circumstances, he will remain mayor. If residents want someone to restore order, impose restrictions on developers and place the welfare of those who are here ahead of those who will be arriving, charisma may be looking for a place to land. Stay alert!

Miller Hudson is a public affairs consultant and a former state legislator. He can be reached at mnhwriter@msn.com.