City Councilman-elect Paul Lopez won his seat by an overwhelming margin, but he may need the endorsement of a Denver District Court judge before he takes the post next month.
An opposing campaign filed a complaint Friday in District Court alleging Lopez did not meet residency requirements to run for the District 3 seat.
Former candidate JoAnn Phillips and her campaign manager, Alfonso Suazo, filed the complaint without an attorney asking for a judge to declare Lopez ineligible for the seat he won.
Suazo said he and Phillips are talking to attorneys, but noted “it can be cost prohibitive.”
The residency allegation dogged Lopez for the last part of his campaign, though Lopez has insisted that – other than a college apartment – his home has always been in District 3.
His campaign manager said Monday they were focusing on “the job he was elected to.”
Denver’s election rules require candidates to live in the district for the year before election day – or at least May 1, 2006, for the most recent election.
As part of their complaint, Phillips and Suazo submitted a change of address form Lopez filed with the Denver Election Commission last year. Lopez stated on the form that he moved from District 2 to District 3 in September 2006.
Suazo asked the Denver Election Commission to disqualify Lopez before the June 5 runoff election, but he was told by an assistant city attorney that he would have to file a complaint in court after the election.
Staff writer George Merritt can be reached at 303-954-1657 or gmerritt@denverpost.com.
