Denver mayor race ramps up with fresh attacks

Denver’s mayoral race is heating up.

Driving the information: Within the first televised debate Thursday evening, rivals attacked state Sen. Chris Hansen for his new TV advert, which debuted this week, suggesting it was racist.

• The 30-second clip, targeted on public security, begins with footage of homeless encampments, two individuals preventing and an individual stealing from a mailbox.

• Everybody committing a criminal offense within the video seems to be individuals of coloration.

What they’re saying: Candidate Ean Thomas Tafoya, an activist, mentioned he was “disgusted by an advert that makes individuals of coloration as the one criminals or the people who find themselves overrepresented in homelessness.”

• State Rep. Leslie Herod, who has clashed with Hansen repeatedly all through the evening, agreed: “As a Black lady, it is actually attention-grabbing to me to have somebody on the stage ignore the truth that individuals of coloration are asking you to take that advert down. It’s offensive, and it is scary for our communities.”

Between the strains: Extra than simply content material, politics is at play. Hansen beat the sphere to TV promoting, and in a crowded race, his rivals are searching for any alternative to demote a challenger.

The opposite aspect: Tafoya referred to as on Hansen to take down the advert — however Hansen defended it. Hansen mentioned he took “precise footage” from round city for his marketing campaign and referred to as the accusations that his advert was racist have been “overwrought.”

• “That is actually form of stunning that it is all of the sudden turn out to be this dialog about the best way that we took footage. That is the primary situation on voters’ minds: How will we enhance public security? How will we tackle the homelessness disaster?”