Two more Denverites have added their names to the pool of mayoral candidates: Robert Treta and Abass Yaya Bamba. This brings the total number of candidates to 24, more than the previous two elections combined according to city records. 

Denver Mayor Michael B. Hancock is term limited after serving almost three terms, and 12 years in office. He was elected in 2011. A new mayor will be declared on or after the April 4 2023 election, depending on if there’s a runoff.

Treta and Bamba added their names to the mix after Al Gardner’s Dec. 5 declaration. State Rep. Alex Valdez declared his run on Nov. 29, becoming the third statehouse member to enter the race. 

Treta, a property builder of 26-years, wants to run on a platform that he said will make Denverites “fall in love with the city again.” He said many Denverites are dissatisfied with how the city conducts its business. 

“I moved here in 1996 and I feel like Denver was a completely different city back then,” he said. “We need to make things better for the people right away, and I’m prepared to do a few things right away to get people to fall back in love with their city.”

Treta wants to embrace small changes that can immediately impact Denver in a positive way. One of those is slashing street sweeping tickets in half. 

It may sound simple, but Treta believes it will work. Because it has in the past. During the 2003 Denver Mayors race, John Hickenlooper was polling at about 3%. Through creative advertisements and capitalizing on public anger over parking fees in downtown, Hickenlooper eventually won the office with 64% of the vote in a runoff. 

In 2007 Hickenlooper won re-election easily.

And yes, Hickenlooper delivered on his parking promise, according to Denver Gazette media partner 9News. 

“I remember seeing him at a debate at Common Grounds Coffee House in the Highlands, and I didn’t think he was going to make it,” Treta said. “And he came up with that platform and I think that propelled him. Sometimes the littlest (sic) things can propel the mayor to get the big agenda done.”

Little public information exists about Bamba’s mayoral bid. He is the president and chief managing officer for a technology company called Y2Fox Inc.

The company offers innovative and cost effective solutions in many fields, including distributed data systems, IT project management and cyber security among others, according to the company’s Twitter handle. 

Bamba’s campaign did not respond to a request for comment by press time. 

No website exist for either new candidate, according to online searches. 

All mayoral candidates must file a municipal candidate affidavit within 10 days of declaring they’ll run. Additionally, they must familiarize themselves with Denver’s rules about campaign finance.

After paperwork is filed, candidates may go about preparing for gathering petitions. Petitions cannot be circulated until 91 days before the election. The last day a petition can be circulated is 55 days before the election, according to the rules.

After petitions are done, they must be filed with the clerk no later than 55 days before April 4 – that’s Feb. 7. A candidate nomination form must also be submitted at that time. Additionally, a mayoral candidate must get no less than 300 signatures on their petition in order to be placed on the ballot.