Of 18 potential contenders for Denver mayor, six seem to be separating themselves from the pack. That’s if money, which buys everything from robo-calls to lawn signs to television commercials, is seen as a good barometer of campaign health. Expect their messages to pop up increasingly online—places like your Facebook page. Though the investment in online advertising is a drop in the bucket compared to television, it is important, says Zach Knaus, spokesman for candidate Chris Romer: “TV is what moves the needle, but social media is also important” (Denver Post).

The trend has been growing in the city since at least 2003, when then-restaurateur and now-Governor John Hickenlooper ran for mayor. Five of the candidates have so far spent a total of $4,000 on Facebook ads, with Romer claiming the vast majority of that amount. In the race for most Facebook “likes,” as of Tuesday evening James Mejía’s page had 1,963, and Romer was closing the gap with 1,873. Westword bypasses the buttons for more substance, continuing its candidate interview series with Ken Simpson and Vincent Macieyovski.

Meanwhile, one Colorado Pols blogger keeps tabs on the Facebook pages of Colorado’s elected federal officials, with Democratic Representative Jared Polis claiming the most friends and newbie Republican Representative Scott Tipton showing the least.