Mayor Wellington Webb's strengths - incumbency, a large war chest, several large public works projects - weren't enough to keep him out of a runoff in his bid for re-election.
City Councilwoman Mary DeGroot, who had accused Webb of cronyism and mismanagement, upstaged Webb on Tuesday and forced him into a runoff June 6.With all the votes counted, DeGroot earned 42.8 percent of the vote to 42.7 percent for Webb. One of them would have had to get more than 50 percent to be elected outright.
DeGroot's showing was a surprise in light of recent polls that showed her trailing the mayor by as many as 15 percentage points.
"It's terrific. The voters of Denver have said overwhelmingly that they wanted change," a beaming DeGroot said from her campaign headquarters. "I think the voters have showed a whole lot of common sense."
City Auditor Bob Crider and lawyer John Frew split the remaining votes.
DeGroot's showing was aided by a weak 38 percent voter turnout.
DeGroot, 43, a budget analyst who has served on the City Council since 1987, chipped away at the mayor's strength by accusing Webb of botching the opening of the Denver International Airport. It finally opened in February after more than a year of delays. Other recently opened public works projects include Coors Field and a new public library.
She also proposed an agenda that includes establishing strong ethical standards in city government and cracking down on crime.
Webb, 54, Denver's first black mayor, urged supporters not to panic over DeGroot's showing.
"We were underdogs four years ago and we're underdogs now," the first-term mayor told about 250 supporters. "We know what we have to do. We have to work. We have to get with it."