Voters in four judicial districts across Colorado are faced with competitive races this fall involving attorneys vying to be top prosecutor.
Two women are competing to replace Bonnie Roesink, 64, who is retiring as district attorney for Moffat, Routt and Grand counties — the 14th Judicial District — after 22 years in the office, the last six as DA.
Republican Elizabeth Oldham, 37, a deputy DA in Grand County who lives in Grand Lake, has worked as a prosecutor for seven years in Summit and Grand counties.
She says her priorities, if elected, would be drug prosecutions, fast-tracking domestic violence cases and providing good management to the three-office district. She has Roesink’s endorsement.
Her opponent, Democrat Tammy Stewart, spent two years as a public defender in California, then six years in Alamosa, Fort Morgan and Craig, and seven years in Jefferson County, where she focused mostly on crimes against children.
“Protecting children, finding alternative treatments for drunk drivers and restorative programs for teen offenders are the important issues here,” said the married mother of two teenagers.
In the 6th Judicial District, which includes Durango, Silverton and Pagosa Springs, DA Steve Westberg was accused of driving while impaired and chose to resign. Democrat Todd Risberg, a former county judge and deputy DA in the 6th District, won a difficult primary by touting treatment programs for most drug addicts and drunken drivers.
“Serious criminals we will put away, but treatment programs for some offenders are not only cheaper but more effective than sending them to jail,” said Risberg, 44.
Republican challenger Russel Wasley, who worked as a prosecutor for four years in Texas, two years in Glenwood Springs, less than one year under Bonnie Roesink in Craig and now one year in Pagosa Springs, says he wants to “stay the course” with traditional prosecutions resulting in jail terms.
“Traditional prosecution provides a deterrent,” said the 51-year-old.
In the tiny 22nd Judicial District covering Dolores and Montezuma counties, incumbent Republican Jim Wilson has been DA for four years. He says his priorities are to expand the office with another deputy and another victims’ advocate.
Democratic challenger Mark “Mac” Myers is a veteran prosecutor with 20 years in Breckenridge, Glenwood Springs and Aspen. He worked for three years under Wilson before leaving to care for his terminally ill mother.
Myers says the Cortez office is badly mismanaged, with a large employee turnover, and now is staffed with inexperienced deputies. “We’ve had some pretty nasty stuff down here, with too many serious felonies being pled down,” he said.
In the 12th Judicial District, covering six counties between Alamosa and Creede, DA Peter Comar is term-limited. His chief deputy, Republican Lawrence “Larry” Orr, 60, brings 16 years of prosecution experience and 34 years as a litigator. The Alamosa native spent nine years in the Denver DA’s office.
His priorities are to upgrade the office with better communications and computer equipment. Domestic violence and alcohol-related crimes are the biggest problems there, he said.
His opponent, Democrat David Mahonee, failed to return numerous phone calls.
Mike McPhee: 303-954-1409 or mmcphee@denverpost.com
