In the coming weeks, Denverites will make a consequential decision that is going to affect the direction of the city of Denver. With ballots on their way for the April 4 election, a recent poll shows a majority of voters are still undecided in their decisions. Although all elections have consequences, the mayoral position in the city and county of Denver is arguably the strongest elected position and, with the potential of a 12-year term, is going to drive the direction of a city facing serious challenges.

It is easy to identify the candidate’s platform and campaign plans, but I challenge Denver voters to take into consideration other factors at play.

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Like any other city, Denver is grappling with the challenges of affordability, rising crime, climate change, homelessness, and many more. With a diverse populace and a vocal electorate, our next mayor needs to be one who has the capability to address these concerns while navigating a growing and changing population, having a strong plan for the city and not neglecting the needs of the city for his or her own personal agenda.

Although politicians run for office to make an impact and pursue change, Denver voters need to be vigilant when deciding which individual will put the needs of the constituents ahead of the self-interest of the individual running. Though it is easy to poll and identify top issues of concerns and create a narrative and talking points around those polling results, it is far more important to elect an individual who understands and embraces the meaning of a “public servant.” Too often these days people run for office as a steppingstone in their career while neglecting to fully embrace the position they’re in and we need to ensure we don’t allow that to happen.

Lastly, although Denver is well-known for being a liberal city, it is important for our next mayor to work with everyone and offer a seat at the table to all. Too often in politics these days, we see policies crammed through without conversation and stakeholding. Absolutely nobody wins when the work of our elected officials is only at the behest of limited voices. Our next mayor needs to be inclusive and remember the decisions he or she makes will affect everyone. Polarization and inaccessibility in any form is not responsible governing and doesn’t only apply to party affiliation.

Though the top issues facing Denverites are not unique, our next mayor should have the ability to offer a unique position that leads with Denver-specific solutions as opposed to spending years of energy, resources and time (which, frankly, the city does not have) to allow Denver to grow into the city we all love and know if can be.

Lisa LaBriola is a principal at Husch Blackwell Strategies and was a Senate Democrat staffer for close to a decade. She served as chief of staff to former Senate Minority Leader Lucia Guzman and former Senate President Leroy Garcia. Opinions expressed here are her own and do not reflect the opinions of any other organizations.