Michael Johnston

Michael Christopher Johnston (born November 17, 1974) is an American educator and politician serving as the 46th and current mayor of Denver, Colorado. A member of the Democratic Party, he won the 2023 Denver mayoral election, defeating Kelly Brough in the June 6 runoff election. Johnston first entered politics when he served in the Colorado Senate, representing the 33rd district from 2009 to 2017. He was a candidate for governor of Colorado in 2018, losing in the primary to Jared Polis, who went on to win the general election. He was also a candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2020, before withdrawing from the race in September 2019. Early life and education One of four children, Johnston was born in Oklahoma City and raised in Vail, Colorado, the son of Sarah "Sally" (née Cox) and Paul Ross Johnston. His father was a U.S. Army veteran and businessman who served on the town council for more than a decade and then as mayor from 1983 to 1987.