A familiar face wants to become an elected official in Denver: the city's former police chief.
Paul Pazen recently told CBS Colorado that he would join the 2027 race to become the next Denver City Council member representing southwest Denver's District 2.
Pazen was the city’s police chief from 2018 until his retirement in 2022. He told CBS that his campaign would include a focus on “safe and affordable” neighborhoods. A formal announcement is planned for next week.
"I care deeply about the things that impact our daily lives: I believe in safe and affordable neighborhoods, city services you can count on, supporting our small business and helping the hardworking people of southwest Denver have a better life now and in the future," he told CBS Colorado.
Who else is in the District 2 race?
The district’s current representative, Councilmember Kevin Flynn, cannot run again due to term limits. He is in the middle of his third term.
Pazen didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
His competition in the 2027 election will include Tran Nguyen-Wills, a leader in Mayor Mike Johnston's administration. Nguyen-Wills is deputy director of outreach for the mayor’s office.
What’s on Pazen’s resume?
Pazen worked for the local police department for nearly 28 years following service in the U.S. Marines.
His time as chief included the 2020 racial justice protests following George Floyd’s demonstrations. He marched with demonstrators. The city has since paid more than $18 million in settlements over allegations of police brutality and misconduct during the protests.
As Denverite’s Kyle Harris reported in a 2022 retrospective, Pazen “navigated the tensions between tough-on-crime policing and harm reduction efforts, often attempting to appeal to proponents of both methods in addressing drug crimes.”
The article continued: “He has championed community policing and supported programs like STAR and LEAD designed to keep low-level offenders out of jail and instead connect them with services.”
Election Day is April 6, 2027, and, if necessary, will be followed by a runoff on June 1, 2027.
