School board roundup: Denver election leans toward union-backed candidates, but two races are close

Voters were backing candidates for the Denver Board of Education who’d been supported by the teachers union, according to unofficial results posted at 10 p.m. Tuesday.

Four of the union-backed candidates were ahead as votes were tallied through the evening, although the races for District 2 and District 4 were close. If the results hold through the night, it will cement the union’s majority for the second time in two years.

Board President Carrie Olson, the only incumbent, was among those in the lead Tuesday evening. She was first elected in 2017 and became president in 2019 when union-backed members gained the majority of seats.

As of 10 p.m., Olson had received 10,387 votes, or 67.76% of the total, for the District 3 seat on the school board.

Three other seats on the Denver Public Schools board also were being filled in Tuesday’s election.

It was one of several school board elections taking place across the metro area. In Douglas County, conservative candidates were poised to take four seats on the local school board. That race had garnered deep-pocketed donors in what was a contentious and partisan election that drew national headlines.

Below are preliminary results, updated at 10 p.m., from the school board races for Denver Public Schools, Jeffco Public Schools, Cherry Creek School District, Aurora Public Schools and Douglas County School District.

Denver Public Schools

Scott Esserman, a former teacher running for the at-large seat, was ahead with 24,376 — or 39.16% — votes.

Xóchitl “Sochi” Gaytán, a real estate agent, was slightly in the lead for District 2, with 3,885 — 50.42% — votes. It was a close race, with Karolina Villagrana garnering 3,820 — 49.58% — votes.

And Michelle Quattlebaum, a family and community liaison at George Washington High School, had a small lead for the District 4 seat with 4,389 — 43.33% — votes. Gene Fashaw, a math teacher at High Point Academy charter school in Aurora, had 4,100 — or 40.47% — of votes.

Jeffco Public Schools

In the race for the District 1 seat, Danielle Varda led with 80,167 — or 58.35% — votes. Jeffrey Wilhite trailed with 57,224 — or 41.65% — votes.

Paula Reed led in the race for the District 2 seat, with 68,403 — 50.04% — votes. Theresa Shelton followed with 52,031 — or 38.06% — votes.

And Mary Parker led the race for the District 5 seat, with 75,819 — or 55.59% — votes. Kathy Miks trailed with 60,561 — or 44.41% — votes.

Cherry Creek School District

Kelly Bates was ahead for the District D seat with 24,001 — or 51.97% — votes. She was followed by Jen Gibbons, who had 15,652 — or 33.89% — votes.

Kristin Allan was ahead for the District E seat with 23,341 — or 50.84% — votes. The other candidates, Bill Leach and Jason Lester, had 13,805 — or 30.07% — votes and 8,762 — 19.09% — votes, respectively.