Candidates backed by the Denver teachers union won all three open seats, though one race was close enough that it took until Thursday afternoon to be sure who would prevail.
The Denver Classroom Teachers Association had endorsed Tay Anderson, Scott Baldermann and Brad Laurvick for three open seats on the seven-member board. No incumbents were running, as two reached term limits and one decided to bow out.
Currently, five members of the board generally support “reform” ideas, such as closing schools that underperformed on tests and graduation rates, and opening new options like charter schools. The Denver teachers union and allied groups saw an opportunity to “flip” the board’s majority by electing candidates who opposed closing schools and were more suspicious of charters.
Anderson and Baldermann took commanding leads Tuesday night and never surrendered them, but the District 5 remained close to the end. Laurvick ultimately beat Julie Bañuelos, the second-place candidate, who also had strong support from people looking to flip the board, by about 300 votes.
In District 5, which covers northwest Denver, Laurvick received 35.4% of the vote. Julie Bañuelos, who had been in third place since Tuesday night, overtook Tony Curcio in Wednesday’s counting, with a lead of 34.3% to 30.3%.
Anderson, a restorative justice coordinator at DPS’ North High School, previously ran unsuccessfully for the board in 2017, when he was 19. Harrigan works for Code.org, which focuses on technology education, and previously was a staff member for U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, who helped launch DPS’s current reform agenda during his time as superintendent. Manuntseva works for a kombucha company.
In District 1, which encompasses southeast Denver, Baldermann received 47.2% of the vote, followed by Diana Romero Campbell, 31.1%, and Radhika Nath, 21.7%.
Baldermann is a stay-at-home father who previously owned an architecture business. Nath is a health policy researcher, and Romero Campbell is president of Scholars Unlimited, which offers tutoring and other services.
After the Denver teachers strike earlier this year, the union and allied groups saw an opportunity to change the district’s direction. DCTA spent heavily to support Anderson and Laurvick, and also endorsed Baldermann, who self-funded his campaign.
Groups that support the reform strategies also poured in substantial money to assist Menocal Harrigan, Romero Campbell and Curcio.
Candidates who weren’t endorsed by either camp struggled with fundraising. Manuntseva, the last candidate to join the race, raised less than $5,000. Bañuelos and Nath also struggled to keep up financially.
The winners will replace board President Anne Rowe, who represents District 1; at-large representative Allegra “Happy” Haynes; and District 5 representative Lisa Flores. The first two were term-limited, and Flores opted not to run again.
