After the announcement of State Sen. Julie Gonzales’ bid to unseat U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper, stories emerged alleging Democratic Party insiders tried to deter her from running. Comedian Joshua Emerson joins host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi to dissect the details of Hick’s primary strategy, as well as Denver’s questionable new homeless service provider contracts, disability activists’ lawsuit against RTD, and more wins and fails of the week. 

Help us hit the goal for our year-end membership drive! You’ll get more from City Cast Denver when you become a City Cast Denver Neighbor. Enjoy perks like ad-free listening, invitations to members only events and more. Join now at https://membership.citycast.fm 

Vote for the finalists of the Denver-est Denver Awards! Your vote will determine the winners of Best Artist, Best Small Business, Biggest Win, and more. And don’t forget to buy your ticket to the show on Dec. 18 and see the winners announced live on stage at The Oriental Theater. Vote here and get your tickets now!

Paul quoted this Denver Post reporting on RTD’s on-time performance, in which buses “lagged at 83%” as of July of 2025 (On-time performance for light rail recovered to 91% this year). Paul also discussed the Sports Castle and the Denver Summit FC stadium vote.  We mentioned Atlantis ADAPT’s lawsuit against RTD and multiple stories on Denver’s homeless shelter contracts from Denverite’s Kyle Harris. Bree talked about Westwood resident Norma Brambila. Joshua discussed a new Native community-focused housing and healthcare building.

What do you think about the Hickenlooper vs. Gonzales race? Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: 720-500-5418

For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver at denver.citycast.fm.

Watch clips from the show on YouTube: youtube.com/@citycastdenver or Instagram @citycastdenver

Chat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenver

Support City Cast Denver by becoming a member: membership.citycast.fm/Denver

Learn more about the sponsors of this December 12th episode:

• Denver Health


• Colfax Ave BID


• 
  Babbel - Get up to 55% off at Babbel.com/CITYCAST


• 
  Aura Frames - Use code CITYCAST for $35 off


• 
  Elizabeth Martinez with PorchLight Real Estate - Do you have a question about Denver real estate? Submit your questions for Elizabeth Martinez HERE, and she might answer in next week’s segment.

Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise