From left: State Representatives James Coleman and Leslie Herod and DPS school board director Tay Anderson this past July. Photo by Kevin Mohatt The confluence of COVID-19 and this summer’s Black Lives Matter protests brought a new generation of Black leaders to the forefront of Mile High City politics and activism. By Jay Bouchard | October 2020 Republican U.S. Senator Cory Gardner, right, talks during a debate with Democratic challenger John Hickenlooper Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2020, in Fort Collins, Colo. (Pool Photo By Bethany Baker/Fort Collins Coloradoan via AP) Over nearly two decades, as Cory Gardner and John Hickenlooper ascended in Centennial State politics, they were cordial, collaborative, and maybe even friends. Now, their bloody race for the U.S. Senate might be the death knell of Colorado bipartisanship.