The real winner of Denver’s municipal elections is pragmatism, several political experts concluded on Tuesday, particularly noting that a progressive firebrand lost her reelection race for the city council by a wide margin.

That pragmatic approach to politics, which permeated the results in both the runoff races on June 6 and the April 4 general election, gives the new mayor the runway to tackle Denver’s most pressing issues without getting sidetracked by ideological “silliness,” the experts said.

Political experts said the biggest surprise of Tuesday’s runoff election is challenger Darrell Watson’s commanding victory over councilmember Candi CdeBaca. In this video, Colorado Politics and Denver Gazette editor Luige del Puerto talks to Steve Welchert, Jim Carpenter and Kelly Maher.

The experts specifically referred to the decision by voters in District 9 to oust Councilmember Candi CdeBaca and elect challenger Darrell Watson, who secured a commanding 20-point victory over the incumbent, prompting Kelly Maher, a political consultant, to proclaim, “The pragmatists won the day.”

“Thus far, it’s looking like a real indictment on that style of politics in Denver,” Maher said at a forum organized by Colorado Politics and The Denver Gazette. “My read is that people are just really kind of sick of all the superfluous stuff. They want to focus on what matters and Candi CdeBaca ran largely not necessarily on people’s everyday (concerns) – not what their commute to work looks like, not what their taxes look like, not what public safety looks like.”

Steve Welchert, who served as legislative liaison for Gov. Richard Lamm, said the composition of the new council offers Johnston an advantage.   

“This council might not be as crazy as it has been in the past, at least with some members,” said Welchert.

Welchert earlier said that whoever wins the mayoral race will face immense pressure to deliver quickly, and failing to do so would bring the “pitchforks out, people will be coming after them, they will not last long. And that’s the brutal reality of it.”

“They’re tired of the games,” Jim Carpenter, who served as chief of staff to Gov. Bill Ritter and state director for U.S. Sen. Ken Salazar, said on Tuesday night.

Carpenter said Denver voters already signaled their preference for pragmatic-minded politicians when they sent Kelly Brough, a former business chamber executive, and Johnston, a former legislator, to the runoff election.

The initial field of 17 candidates who vied to succeed Mayor Michael Hancock had included progressive stalwarts, such as state Rep. Leslie Herod and Lisa Calderon, who both finished near the top but ultimately failed to secure a spot in Tuesday’s runoff election. 

With either Brough or Johnston, Denverites, Carpenter said, are going to get a “level of competence, service and attention to issues and not a bunch of nonsense.”

Echoing that sentiment, Welchert said Denver faces big issues – notably opioid addiction, homelessness and crime – that require politicians to roll their sleeves up and get to work. 

“These are not bumper sticker kind of issues,” he said, adding that Denver voters know these issues well and are serious about solving them. “That’s why the vote was what it was, both in April and today.” 

In a statement, CdeBaca blamed the “faceless Denver power brokers and big money interests” for her defeat, saying these “real opponents” spent nearly $900,000 to “buy back” her council seat.

Most of that money, CdeBaca said, came from “dark money, independent expenditures spreading disinformation and weaponizing misogyny and racism.” 

“They’ll be expecting a big return on that investment,” she said. “We must be more vigilant than ever and demand transparency and openness from your newly elected officials now that the fox is guarding the henhouse.”

The final, unofficial tally gave Watson a 60-40 victory over CdeBaca, a crushing defeat for the incumbent councilmember.

“They’ve known more division over the last four years,” Watson said of voters in his district. “You want a councilmember that’s going to bring the community together and fight for pretty important issues like affordable housing.”

“I will be that champion,” Watson said.