CENTENNIAL — Kevin Farrell knows he is an underdog — a big one.
The Democrat from Parker is running for district attorney in the 18th Judicial District against incumbent Carol Chambers.
Chambers, who declined to be interviewed for this story, has seen her share of controversy in her first four years in office. Among other things, she was pulled off a death-penalty case for conflict of interest and received a public censure from a judicial ethics panel.
But the 18th Judicial District, which includes Arapahoe, Douglas, Elbert and Lincoln counties, has been a Republican mainstay for years. And Chambers is popular in the party.
Her husband, Nathan, also is chairman of the Republican Party in Arapahoe County.
So why is the 43-year-old Farrell running in a race he knows would be a huge upset if he wins?
For all those reasons, he said.
“Unfortunately, the 18th is heavily Republican. That is a bit of frustration,” Farrell said. “But I don’t consider this position to be political.”
Even so, Farrell, who is married with four children, said: “I’m a fairly conservative guy, even for a Democrat.” He owns a gun and supports the death penalty in certain instances, he said.
But it’s what Chambers has done in office that prompted him to run. He points to what he says is a stormy relationship between the DA’s office and law enforcement as a big issue that he would fix if elected.
“I don’t see the point of becoming a catalyst for acrimony with police officers and judges and attorneys,” Farrell said.
Farrell is a criminal lawyer but also works civil and appellate cases in federal and state courts. He was born and raised in Aurora.
According to the Colorado secretary of state’s office, Farrell has raised $200 as of Sept. 10, with the next reports due out Oct. 14. But Farrell says he’s raised about $4,500 so far.
Chambers, according to the state, has raised $17,625.
She won the Republican primary in August over George Brauchler by a vote of 57 percent to 43 percent.
Chambers is known for being tough on crime and has gone hard after identity-theft criminals.
She instituted a policy in which defendants with three or more prior criminal convictions are deemed habitual offenders, which can mean much longer prison stays and no deals.
In 2006, however, a three-member judicial ethics panel found that Chambers violated rules of professional conduct by using her office to help an acquaintance, and she was publicly censured.
Farrell believes filing habitual-criminal status for nonviolent offenders can clog the court and prison systems.
“That’s something that needs to be scrutinized at filing, rather than just having a blanket policy,” he said. “Defense attorneys have no outs, no plea bargains.”
Mike Hamrick, chairman of the Democratic Party in Arapahoe County, believes Farrell has a shot at office, although “it’s a very difficult task,” given the voter-registration numbers in the 18th, which is 41 percent Republican and 28 percent Democrat. But the percentage of unaffiliated voters is 31 percent, which gives the Democratic Party in the 18th some hope.
“A lot of people don’t vote straight party,” Hamrick said. “I think it’s about the quality of the candidates.”
