Michael Christopher Johnston (born November 17, 1974) is an American educator and politician serving as the 46th and current mayor of Denver, Colorado.

[7][failed verification] His father was a U.S. Army veteran and businessman who served on the town council for more than a decade and then as mayor from 1983 to 1987.

[8] After graduating from Vail Mountain School in 1993, Johnston attended Yale College, earning his bachelor's degree in philosophy in 1997.

[6][7] During high school and college, he was involved in community service activities, including volunteering at a Denver homeless shelter and mentoring youth in a New Haven housing project.

[6] After graduating from college, he taught English at Greenville High School in rural Mississippi for two years as part of the Teach For America program.

Under his leadership, the nonprofit organization delivered almost two million test kits and helped coordinate thousands of vaccinations across Colorado.

[16] In April 2009, Johnston declared his candidacy for Colorado's 33rd Senate district, a historically African-American legislative seat based in northeastern Denver,[10][17] after incumbent Peter Groff announced his resignation upon accepting an appointment in the Obama administration's Department of Education.

[13] Johnston cited education as the central motivation for his run, including the failure of a bill during the 2008 session granting in-state tuition to undocumented immigrants.

[9] He supported SB 10–191, legislation that modified teacher and principal accountability by measuring performance in part by student academic growth.

Denver Post guest columnist and teacher Brian Kurz espoused the need to repeal the law as it was an unfunded burden on school districts.

After languishing in the legislature for almost a decade, the bill passed and was signed into law by Governor John Hickenlooper in April 2013.

"[26][27] Shortly after leaving the state senate, Johnston ran for governor of Colorado in 2018 to succeed John Hickenlooper, who was term-limited.

Since no candidate received a majority of the vote, they faced each other in a June 6 runoff election, where Johnston won by a comfortable margin.

[34] His campaign was endorsed by The Denver Post and many progressive figures in the runoff, while Brough's support came from more conservative groups.

The program offering legal support, English classes, and job training to help integrate and contribute to the local economy.

[48][49] In his 2024 agenda, Johnston discussed homelessness and affordable housing, violent gun crime, addiction and mental health and revitalizing neighborhoods throughout Denver.

[50]  While a member of the Colorado Senate, Johnston sponsored bills regarding education, the environment, and housing, among other topics.

He appointed Elizabeth Babcock to be the executive director of Denver's Office of Climate Action, Sustainability & Resiliency in fall of 2023.

[56] Johnston lives in Denver's Central Park neighborhood with his wife Courtney and their three children: Seamus, Emmet, and Ava.