Melissa Mejía leads Denver's at-large race. The Council she'd join finishes the budget first

Melissa Adriana Mejía led the 10-candidate special election for Denver's open at-large City Council seat Tuesday night, with 28.1% of ballots counted in early, unofficial results, the Denver Gazette reported in a story last updated at 9:22 p.m. Monica Martinez was next, at 17.02%. Denverite reported that Mejía declared victory as she held her early lead.

"People feel the pain," Mejía said, according to the Gazette, describing what she heard from voters.

Why it matters: the seat has been empty since Sarah Parady resigned in August. Filling it puts the Council back at 13 members, which changes the math on close votes.

These results are unofficial. Counting and audits continue until certification and canvass on Nov. 24, according to the Denver Elections Division; the city's results page has the latest count. There is no runoff: the top vote-getter wins, according to the city's vacancy election page.

What our records add: the votes she'll miss, and the math she changes

The budget will be done. The city's timeline lists Nov. 24 as both the certification date and the day the member-elect is sworn in, and labels its dates tentative (city page). By then:

• Nov. 6: Mayor Mike Johnston's deadline to accept or veto the five budget amendments that passed Monday (our story).
• Nov. 9: Veto overrides and the vote to adopt the 2027 budget, 26-1547.
• By Nov. 23: The Long Bill, 26-1638, which cleared committee on Election Day (meeting).

So the 12 members now seated make every 2027 budget decision.

A tie can't decide things anymore. With 12 members, a 6-6 tie fails. That happened Monday, when a one-year study of the Denver Basic Income Project failed 6-6 (roll call), and in August, when a contract amendment failed 6-6 (roll call). With 13 and everyone present, one side always has at least seven.

Seven is still a majority; nine is still an override. A veto override takes nine votes either way, according to the City Council. Two of Monday's five winning amendments passed 7-5 and would fall short of nine if vetoed.

Parady's record on close votes. The seat's previous holder voted for a freezing-weather sweeps ban that passed 7-6 in 2024 but died when the veto override drew only seven votes (roll call), and she voted no on the Axon license plate camera contract that passed 7-6 in March (roll call), as our earlier stories detailed. A new member's votes will be their own; these are context for how close the Council has been.

What's still moving when she arrives

Items now in committee could reach the full Council after Nov. 24. They include the best-value construction contracting bill, 26-1540, which returns to the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee today after splitting it 3-3 in October (agenda). We'll track the new member's votes on our legislation page.

Another election soon

The winner serves the rest of Parady's term, which ends in July 2027, and must run again in Denver's spring 2027 municipal election to keep the seat, Westword and Denverite have reported. Our race guide and story on public financing have background on the field.

What's next

• Through Nov. 24: Counting, ballot curing and audits.
• Nov. 24 (tentative): Certification and swearing-in.