DENVER — With the swearing in of new Denver City Council members on July 17, Denver now has one of the most diverse city councils in the city's history.
Nine of the 13 seats are held by women, including six Latinas, the most to serve on the council at the same time.
Flor Alvidrez, Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez and Diana Romero Campbell joined incumbents Stacie Gilmore, Amanda Sandoval and Jamie Torres.
The women represent neighborhoods like Ruby Hill, Montbello, Athmar Park and Westwood, which are home to large Latino populations.
"When you think about the people that are sitting there, that are representing the diverse community that we call Denver, that they are making decisions at the highest level, that now changes a narrative, " racial equity expert Dr. Rosemarie Allen told 9NEWS. "That impacts the people who are most likely to be impacted by the decisions, and it really reflects their experiences."
History was also made with incoming council members Shontel Lewis and Darrell Watson, who are the first two Black openly LGBTQ+ council members in the city's history.
Watson defeated incumbent Candi CdeBaca to represent north-central Denver, while Lewis replaced term-limited Chris Herndon to represent the city's northeast region.
Kevin Flynn, Amanda Sawyer, Paul Kashman, Chris Hinds and Sarah Parady are the other members of the 13-person council.
Allen said that representation is important because it could encourage minorities and younger generations to get involved in politics.
"First, there's a study that is called the Role Model Effect, and it shows that when women and girls see themselves represented in government, they are much more likely to become politically involved," she said. "And also, when we look at people who look like us, it opens these windows of opportunity that says, 'I too can do that. I too can occupy these spaces.'"
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