Putting this year’s mayor’s race into perspective

Local media described Michael Hancock’s 16-point win over Chris Romer variously as a trouncing, a cruise to victory and a landslide.

It duplicated Wellington Webb’s winning margin in the mayoral race 20 years ago but was a slimmer margin than the most recent three contests yielded. Other races in the modern era (since the reign of Bill McNichols Jr. was cut short by an upstart Federico Peña) were much closer. Below are the results of those elections, all but two of which went to a runoff.

2011 runoff
Michael Hancock — 70,780 − 58%
Chris Romer — 51,082 − 42%

2007 — no runoff
John Hickenlooper — 68,568 − 86%
Danny Lopez — 10,053 − 12%

2003 runoff
John Hickenlooper — 69,526 − 65%
Don Mares — 38,126 − 35%

1999 — no runoff
Wellington Webb — 39,707 − 81%
Gill Ford — 3,684 − 7%
Richard Grimes — 2,907 − 6%
Stephanie Huey — 2,660 − 5%

1995 runoff
Wellington Webb — 66,884 − 54%
Mary DeGroot — 56,725 − 46%

1991 runoff
Wellington Webb — 66,551 − 58%
Norm Early — 48,822 − 42%

1987 runoff
Federico Peña — 79,674 − 51%
Don Bain — 76,648 − 49%

1983 runoff
Federico Peña — 79,542 51%
Dale Tooley — 75,097 49%

— Sources: Archives of the Denver Election Division, New York Times and Ciruli & Assoc.