John Walsh (Colorado)
From Ballotpedia
John Walsh
Denver District Attorney
Tenure
2025 - Present
Term ends
2029
Years in position
0
Predecessor
Elections and appointments
Education
Personal
Contact
John Walsh (Democratic Party) is the Denver District Attorney in Colorado. He assumed office on January 14, 2025. His current term ends on January 9, 2029.
Walsh (Democratic Party) ran for election for Denver District Attorney in Colorado. He won in the general election on November 5, 2024.
Walsh completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.
Elections
2024
See also: City elections in Denver, Colorado (2024)
General election
Democratic primary election
Endorsements
To view Walsh's endorsements as published by their campaign, click here. Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Walsh in this election.
2020
See also: United States Senate election in Colorado, 2020
United States Senate election in Colorado, 2020 (June 30 Republican primary)
United States Senate election in Colorado, 2020 (June 30 Democratic primary)
General election
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Gary Swing (Other)
- Joseph Camp (Independent)
- Veronique Bellamy (Socialist Party)
- Martha Wolf (Independent)
Democratic primary election
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Danielle Kombo (D)
- Erik Underwood (D)
- Denise Burgess (D)
- David Goldfischer (D)
- Lorena Garcia (D)
- Trish Zornio (D)
- Michael Johnston (D)
- Diana Bray (D)
- Stephany Rose Spaulding (D)
- Michelle Ferrigno Warren (D)
- Critter Milton (D)
- Keith Pottratz (D)
- John Walsh (D)
- Dan Baer (D)
- Ellen Burnes (D)
- Alice Madden (D)
- Angela Williams (D)
- Derrick Blanton (D)
- Dustin John Leitzel (D)
Republican primary election
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Margot Dupre (R)
Libertarian primary election
Unity Party convention
Campaign themes
2024
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
John Walsh completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Walsh's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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Denver’s DA leads a large prosecution office. As Colorado’s U.S. Attorney, I did just that: Over six years, I successfully led the U.S. Attorney’s office. Attorneys General Holder and Lynch recognized my efforts by asking me to chair their national Advisory Committee of U.S. Attorneys.
My wife and I have lived in Denver's Park Hill neighborhood or nearly 30 years, raising three kids, proud DPS graduates. I have spent decades working in Denver’s diverse communities both professionally and personally. I coach the Constitutional Law program at East. I helped found an early childhood nonprofit, Invest in Kids; served on the executive committee of the Colorado Lawyers Committee; and have held leadership roles in the Democratic party, including district co-captain, State Platform chair, and treasurer of AG Weiser’s 2018 campaign. I speak Spanish fluently and have worked extensively with our Spanish speaking community, including as board chair of Escuela de Guadalupe.
I will lead the Denver DA’s office energetically from day one, working with community. All three living Denver DA’s – McCann, Morrissey and Ritter – have endorsed me, along with Denver Mayors Hickenlooper, Webb and Peña.
I am passionate about keeping our community safe by firm and fair application of the law and working tirelessly with the community to prevent crime. I am also passionate about improving the quality and fairness of our criminal justice system for everyone.
A District Attorney enforces the criminal law, and has enormous discretion in doing so. That makes the role of the DA crucial to the effective functioning of government and to the rule of law in our country.
Gangbuster, by Alan Prendergast, which describes a Denver DA's fight in the 1920s against organized crime and the KKK; and To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee.
Courage, integrity, judgment, professional experience (here, in prosecution and the legal system), a willingness to listen to and learn from the community, and a relentless work ethic.
Protecting the community by effectively and fairly prosecuting crime, and by working in partnership with the community to prevent crime and improve our criminal justice system.
I would like to leave a twofold legacy: Much lower crime in Denver, based on a balanced combination of fairly enforcing the law and effectively preventing crime; and a DA's office renowned nationally for the high quality of its work, its fundamental fairness and integrity, and its energy and commitment to public service and the community.
One Time, One Night by Los Lobos.
Seeking to do justice in every case for victims, for the community and doing so fairly and in compliance with the law. The DA must use the wide discretion of the office in charging crimes, arriving at plea resolutions and sentencing recommendations fairly, thoughtfully and effectively.
The broader role of the DA in helping develop and implement community safety policy, working with the community, can easily get lost in the daily news on individual cases, but is extremely important.
Yes. The District Attorney is a lawyer for the people, and has enormous discretion in individual cases and policy setting. Exercising that discretion requires extensive experience in the courts, in public service and in the community.
Experience, judgment and an abiding sense of justice and fairness for all -- resting on a passionate commitment to the rule of law.
I have an extensive list of endorsements, including all three living Denver District Attorneys, Democratic District Attorneys around the state, former mayors of Denver and our two US Senators. Additionally, I have earned the support of Pipefitters Local 208, Denver Metro Postal Workers and Denver Area Labor Federation.
I have spent a professional lifetime prosecuting white collar criminal cases -- financial transparency and government accountability is crucial to me.
This is not an area over which the DA has authority or responsibility; I do not have changes I would make.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
2020
John Walsh did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.
