2023 Denver mayoral election

The 2023 Denver mayoral election was held on April 4, 2023 to elect the mayor of Denver, Colorado, with a runoff held on June 6. The election was officially nonpartisan and was held concurrently with elections for the Denver City Council, as well as city auditor and city clerk and recorder. Incumbent Democratic mayor Michael Hancock was term-limited and could not seek a fourth term in office. A historic field of seventeen candidates filed to run in the race to succeed Hancock.

Since no candidate won a majority in the first round, former state senator Mike Johnston and former Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce CEO Kelly Brough advanced to a runoff. Candidates eliminated in the first round included Emerge Colorado executive director Lisa Calderón, maintenance executive Andy Rougeot, and state representative Leslie Herod. Brough and Johnston were considered to be two of the more moderate candidates in the field, with the more progressive candidates like Calderón and Herod losing in the initial primary.

Although Brough and Johnston shared similar ideological positions, Johnston was supported by leading progressive figures in the runoff, including Calderón and Herod, while Brough was supported by more conservative groups, including the local police union and the Denver Republican Party. Johnston won the runoff by a comfortable margin, with Brough conceding the race on the night of the election.