CO 2020 Election: Recount Called For 18th Judicial District Race

Littleton CO

30 November, 2020

7:41 PM

Description

ARAPAHOE COUNTY, CO — The race for the 18th Judicial District Attorney seat has triggered an automatic recount, the Colorado Secretary of State's Office announced Monday. Democrat Amy Padden and Republican John Kellner are vying for the 18th Judicial District Attorney seat, and as of Monday, Kellner led by only 1,433 votes. The recount, which will involve Arapahoe, Douglas, Elbert and Lincoln counties, is set to begin Tuesday. "Statewide election certification will take place after the conclusion of the recount," the office said in a news release. "Automatic recounts happen when the difference between the highest number of votes cast in a contest and the next highest number of votes cast in a contest is less than one half of one percent. Automatic recounts are required to be concluded no later than 35 days after the election, which is December 8." Don't miss the latest election news updates in Littleton: Free Littleton Patch Newsletters and Email Alerts | Facebook | Twitter Kellner is chief deputy district attorney for the 18th Judicial District, where he's served for the past eight years. He's worked as a criminal prosecutor in Colorado for more than 10 years, and before that he served on active duty in the Marine Corps as a judge advocate and prosecutor for five years. He continues to serve in the Marine Corps Reserve as a lieutenant colonel. In his Patch candidate profile, Kellner said his top priority "will always be public safety." "Violent crime has been rising across the entire state for the last five years and it has accelerated even more the last few months in our community," he said. "I am the only candidate who, as a prosecutor, has dismantled gangs and drug trafficking organizations, and I will bring that experience to bear on the problem of rising gun violence," Kellner said. Kellner helped to found the Veterans Treatment Court, a specialty court that helps treat underlying issues such as post-traumatic stress disorder and substance abuse. He also serves on the policy board for the drug, mental health, and DUI treatment courts. Kellner's opponent, Padden, has worked as an attorney for more than 26 years. For the past 15 years, Padden served in the Colorado Attorney General's Office, U.S. Attorney's Office and the 5th Judicial District Attorney's Office. Padden, now a deputy district attorney for the 5th Judicial District, told Patch that one of her top priorities is community safety. "But I have a different way of attaining community safety, because we can't simply prosecute our way out of our current safety issues," Padden said. "As a community, we need to do a better job at identifying the causes of crime, trying to prevent crimes before they occur, and reducing recidivism. We can accomplish this by finding alternatives to incarceration for non-violent offenders (which rehabilitate and reduce recidivism) and doing a better job on re-entry programs for offenders," she said. Padden said she was very proud to be endorsed by Hassan Latif, the founder of the Second Chance Center, which works to provide re-entry support for people who have been released from prison.