Meet Denver City Council President Amanda Sandoval

Amanda Sandoval, the Denver city councilmember from District 1, was unanimously elected as council president on Monday.

She replaced Jamie Torres, who served in that role for the previous year.

Sandoval, the daughter of one of Denver's most influential politicians, has been working within the halls of the Denver City and County Building since 2012, when she was hired as a council aide.

Though having served as council president pro tem for the past two years — the position is responsible for taking over the duties of the council president if the latter is absent — this is Sandoval’s first term as council president.

Also joining the council's leadership is president pro tem Diana Romero Campbell.

“When I meet with my colleagues to ask for their support, I heard amazing feedback from them and they believe in my leadership,” Sandoval said. “I am grateful for this opportunity to serve in the capacity as council president.”

Sandoval is taking the reins of the City Council as Denver, like many big cities, struggles to tackle homelessness, revitalize downtown, and keep prices affordable. Atop these problems, the city is facing the fiscal strain of paying for its response to the illegal immigration crisis that is spilling over from the southern border into America's interior cities.

For the most part, Sandoval will be presiding over a council with a good working relationship with Mayor Mike Johnston. There are some signs of that relationship straining over the mayor's spending on homelessness.

To pay for the city's priorities, both the council and the mayor are pushing for sales tax increases that, if approved at the ballot box, would Denver the highest-taxed municipality in the region. Some who warily eye the proposed sales taxes increases have argued that Denver's elected leaders are testing the public's patience for extracting more money out of their pockets to pay for programs and services.

The unanimous vote signaled solid support for Sandoval's leadership.

Torres, who became emotional just before the vote, called Sandoval her “friend, colleague and sister.” The former council president she said she was honored to nominate Sandoval to lead Denver’s legislative body.

In 2018, Torres remembered asking Sandoval whether she would considered running. Sandoval ultimately decided she would regret it if she did not. She joined the race, emerging as the frontrunner in a field of six other candidates. She replaced Rafael Espinoza, who decided not to seek re-election.

“Amanda Sandoval does not live a life with regrets,” Torres said. “As soon as she came in, she was rezoning hundreds, if not thousands, of homes for accessory dwelling units… When you have a leader who will not live a life with regrets, you get someone who works with gusto and enthusiasm for life.”

In District 1, some 96% of residential units have been rezoned to allow the construction of accessory dwelling units. The last step of that process was completed weeks ago when the council approved blanket rezoning for multiple properties.

On her website, Sandoval insisted that an accessory dwelling unit — often called a "granny flat" — have been part of Northwest Denver’s history since the beginning. These units are an independent and detached living space with their own kitchens, bathroom and sleeping area, they but are not a separate parcel of land.

Democrats have also been pushing the idea at the state level.

This year, Gov. Jared Polis signed legislation that prohibits certain jurisdictions from disallowing ADUs, though the bill provides several exemptions, such as if the property cannot handle more water and sewer infrastructure or is on a historic property.

“The built environment (of District 1) has changed. We’ve lost a lot of the Latino population, displacement and gentrification have taken place,” Sandoval told The Denver Gazette in 2021 . “A lot of the policies that I develop and land use tools that I develop will impact the future generations of Denverites and that’s what I’d like my legacy to be. Making a difference for the next generations.”

On the council, Sandoval worked to rename Columbus Park , which located at 1501 W. 38th Ave. in the Sunnyside neighborhood, to La Raza Park. Finalized in 2020, Sandoval said she received threatening emails and voicemails in addition to outright threats to come to her home during that process. Sandoval said she sent the threatening messages to the District 1 police commander and soldiered on.

The council president is responsible for overseeing the orderly conduct of City Council meetings. She will also preside over meetings and maintain order in this capacity.

Beyond that, she will represent the council when working with other governmental bodies, such as the mayor’s office, and when speaking with the public.

During her acceptance of the nomination to lead the council, Sandoval thanked members of her family. She specifically thanked her sister, Kendra Sandoval, for always being there for her. Kendra, she said, helped her graduate and made a game plan for her to become a councilmember.

Sandoval also thanked her mother and late father, former Sen. Paul Sandoval. Known to as " the North Denver kingmaker ," Sandoval passed away after a battle with pancreatic cancer in 2012.

She said he imparted a lesson that she tries to live by — r ecognize everyone's humanity .

“I had a dream about him last week and asked him to be here with me and in my dad's little sly way, he is right here with my sisters, myself, my grandma and my kids,” she said. “He's shining down from heaven looking at Denver and thinking how proud he is of how far Denver has come since he left us 12 years ago.”

Sandoval’s mother has also been a major point of inspiration for her, she said, teaching her and her siblings the importance of fighting for what they believe in and “continuing the fight for social justice.”

“I can't thank you enough for your love and un-waving support,” she said. “I wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for you.”