Mejía Secures Open Denver Council Seat in November Vote

Melissa Adriana Mejía has won the open at-large seat on the Denver City Council. The Denver Clerk and Recorder’s office reported that Mejía led her closest competitor, Monica Martinez, by a 40 percent margin as of 10 p.m. on Nov. 13. This victory fills the vacancy created when Councilwoman Sarah Parady stepped away from her position in August due to health issues.

Parady originally took the role in 2023 but resigned three years into her four-year term. The departure triggered a special election that drew 10 candidates by October. Among the contenders were nonprofit executive Monica Martinez and trial attorney Whitney Traylor, who received an endorsement from Parady. Mejía, a single mother and former member of Denver’s planning board, emerged as the preferred choice for voters.

Mejía campaigned on a progressive platform that emphasized social housing, labor protections, and a willingness to challenge corporate interests. She received an endorsement from Melat Kiros, the member of Congress for Colorado’s District 1, who won her seat in a landslide. Kiros is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America. In a social media video released after the win, Mejía described the effort as the work of many people who wanted a progressive representative in that seat.

"This was so much work from so many people," Mejía said in the video. "The point of this, the reason I got into this, was because I knew what was important was having a progressive person in that seat who understands why we need things like social housing, who’s going to be down for labor protections, who’s going to be willing to do the hard work and stand up to corporate interests."

Martinez raised the most money in the race, collecting about $208,000 in fair election funds and roughly $150,000 in fundraising and personal expenditures. She secured endorsements from former Denver mayors Michael Hancock and Wellington Webb, as well as current council members Jamie Torres, Amanda Sandoval, and Darrel Watson. Mejía raised significantly less, with $79,000 in public money and $50,000 in fundraising and personal funds.

Critics questioned the source of Martinez’s donations, with the Denver Post reporting that most individual contributions came from real estate developers and lawyers. Candidate Jake Browne, a former Westword contributor, noted at a public panel on Oct. 19 that one candidate had 47 CEOs and executives backing them. Browne later backed out of the race a week before the election to endorse Mejía, though his name remained on the ballot.

Mejía will serve the remainder of the term and must run for re-election in 2027. The council seat is a full-time, salaried position with an annual pay of around $110,000. Upon taking office, Mejía will address upcoming 2027 budgets and growing demands for affordable housing and responses to Denver’s homeless community. Her campaign focused on sustainable affordable housing, improved sidewalk infrastructure, and more bike lanes.