City’s fiscal health emerges as a top issue for first time in CPI Denver polling
DENVER — Denverites are increasingly optimistic about economic recovery in the downtown core, largely view the city as safe, and are less likely to view illegal immigration as a top issue compared to last year, according to results from a Colorado Polling Institute (CPI) survey of Denver voters released today.
Views on the direction of the city have improved slightly in the last two years, with 51% saying it’s headed in the right direction, compared to 41% who say it’s on the wrong track. In 2023, 44% said the city was headed in the right direction, and 44% said it was on the wrong track.
“We’re seeing an uptick in voter views on several issues since the inaugural Denver poll in 2023. That said, Denverites continue to be frustrated by a lack of progress on important concerns like affordable housing and homelessness,” said pollster Lori Weigel of New Bridge Strategy. “As we’ve consistently seen, voters who are more financially comfortable are the most positive about the city’s direction.”
The poll was conducted Aug. 14-19 by CPI’s bipartisan polling team of Democratic firm Aspect Strategic and Republican firm New Bridge Strategy via live telephone interviews (both cell phones and landlines) and online. With a sample size of 417 likely 2026 Denver voters, the survey has a margin of error of +/- 4.8%. CPI previously polled Denver voters in 2023 and 2024, and many questions have been re-asked in this survey for important tracking data.
Among key findings this year:
- Compared to 2023, voters are significantly more optimistic about progress being made on Denver’s downtown recovery (44% optimistic, 39% pessimistic), which is about 14 points more optimistic than they were two years ago (30% optimistic, 45% pessimistic);
- Most voters feel safe in Denver, with seven-in-ten saying they feel “very” or “somewhat” safe (the percentage of those who feel “very” safe increased to 30% this year from 24% last year and 18% in 2023);
- Almost half (48%) say that there is too little police presence in Denver; and
- The Denver Police Department’s image rating (51% favorable, 43% unfavorable) is on par with last year (47% favorable, 43% unfavorable).
Mayor Mike Johnston gets higher marks (52%) in making progress addressing crime and public safety compared to last year (37%). Views on whether he’s made progress addressing homelessness remain largely unchanged (52% this year and 52% last year — though the percentage of those who think he’s making “significant” progress increased to 13% from 8%).
Positive views of Johnston have held steady around 46-48%, but those saying they have an unfavorable opinion of the mayor increased to 46% from 38% last year.
“Supporters of the mayor’s work primarily cite his efforts on homelessness and feel he is making an effort to get things done and keep his promises,” said Democratic pollster Kevin Ingham of Aspect Strategic. “Those who have an unfavorable impression are more varied in their reasoning, but mentions of his handling of homelessness and immigration have gone down significantly while the city’s fiscal health and recent layoffs have emerged as new concerns.”
Four-in-ten voters (41%) have a favorable impression of Denver City Council this year, up from 34% in 2024. However, that increase is rather soft, with gains coming from voters saying they have a “somewhat favorable” opinion.
Looking at what voters say are the top issues for the city to address, homelessness/encampments (44% this year, which is down from 54% in 2024) and affordable housing (30% this year and 31% in 2024) once again top the list. Mentions of illegal immigration as a top issue have dropped significantly (from 24% in 2024 to 9% in 2025). A newly emerged issue this year is the city’s fiscal health, as 11% of respondents cited “balancing the budget” and “cutting wasteful spending” as among the most important issues for the city to address.
“Since 2023, we’ve conducted four statewide polls and three polls in Denver, and housing affordability is consistently a top issue,” said CPI founder David Carlson. “The insights we’re gaining on voters’ longer-term views help all of us better understand the political, social and civic landscape of our city and state.”
A plurality (47%) say Mayor Johnston has made no progress on the affordability of housing. Given that nearly half (49%) of Denverites say they have considered moving or moved due to the cost of living, it is perhaps unsurprising that the general consensus is that the city has too little housing for people with low (83% too little) and middle incomes (76% too little) and too much housing for people with higher incomes (53% too much).
While this survey is of a likely 2026 midterm election universe, respondents in our sample largely favor the Vibrant Denver Bond package, with 65% saying they are likely to support the 2025 ballot measure after hearing a brief explanation. That said, only about one-in-four say they have heard “a lot” or “some” about the bond measure and 48% of voters say they lack confidence in how wisely Denver government handles taxpayer money, compared to 43% who are confident.
Other nuggets from the poll:
- Socialism is viewed slightly more favorably (52%) than capitalism (48%);
- The outlook on the East Colfax BRT construction is split with just as many voters saying they are pessimistic about the benefits (38%) as those who say they are optimistic (39%); and
- Voters are also split on whether there are too many marijuana dispensaries (46%) or the right amount (50%).
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