The results from election night are clear – education reform in Denver will continue to flourish. In the Denver Public School board races, two of the DFER-CO endorsed candidates, Happy Haynes and Anne Rowe, had overwhelming victories. Happy Haynes, running for a city-wide seat, won nearly 60% of the vote in a five-candidate field, winning every single precinct in Denver. Anne Rowe, running to represent southeast Denver, won with a resounding 66% of the vote. The third DFER-CO endorsed candidate, Jennifer Draper Carson, came within just 144 votes of beating a strong, politically connected incumbent in northwest Denver.
This is an incredible show of support for accelerating and deepening reform in DPS. It would not have been possible without the hard work of a great number of individuals and organizations, including Stand for Children Colorado, which ran a sophisticated grassroots campaign effort that equaled that of the teacher’s union.
Celebrating on Election Night!
DFER-CO State Director Moira Cullen with newly elected school board member Happy Haynes and Stand for Children Colorado Director Lindsay Neil
Happy Haynes, Anne Rowe and Jennifer Draper Carson all ran remarkable campaigns. These candidates were able to attract interest and support from a broad base that will serve Denver’s education reform movement well in the future. DFER-CO endorsed these three individuals after interviews with all of the school board candidates. We then worked on all facets of their campaigns, from strategy development to fundraising to “feet on the street.” As the campaigns unfolded, we were very proud to be supporting Happy, Anne, and Jennifer, as each shared a commitment to run a reform-oriented, issues-based campaign solidly anchored in what was best for Denver’s kids. They knocked on thousands of doors, spoke at hundreds of events, and worked hard to earn support from parents, educators, and community and business leaders.
