To Make A Mayor

To Make a Mayor chronicles the events that followed a surprising act by two-term Mayor Federico Pena on Wednesday, November 28, 1990. Pena willingly giving up his seat of power would prove to be the first in a series of incredible twists and turns that would make Denver's 1991 mayoral race forever distinctive. What political observers thought would be a lackluster race with front-runner District Attorney Norm Early attaining an easy victory turned into one of the most fascinating municipal stories of all time. Instead of Early, the people chose Wellington Webb, the clear underdog with one-third the campaign funds of his opponent, to succeed Pena. To Make a Mayor is a marvelous study in the fallibility of public opinion polls; a repudiation of the classic role that money and influence play in municipal politics; and a complete disavowal of what conventional politics declare is necessary to be mayor.