Former Police Chief Paul Pazen to run for City Council in 2027
Remember Denver’s former police chief, Paul Pazen? Pazen a long-time policeman for over three decades plans to enter the 2027 race and become the next council member for District 2, representing southwest Denver. Pazen was born and raised in Denver. Pazen is ready to meet the challenge.
Pazen is a graduate of North High School and served in the U.S. Marine Corp. He worked for the police department for three decades and in 2018 became Denver’s Police Chief. He graduated from Colorado State University (CSU) in 2017 and later acquired a master’s in homeland security and defense from the Naval Postgraduate
Pazen served as Denver’s policy chief in 2018 until he retired in 2022. His campaign policies include safe and affordable neighborhoods. His top priorities include prevention of gentrification of Southwest Denver, public safety and the support of small businesses.
District 2’s current representative, Councilmember Kevin Flynn, cannot run again due to term limits. He is in the middle of his third term. Tran Nguyen-Wills in Mayor Mike Johnston’s administration will be running for same District 2 position against Pazen.
In his official announcement, Pazen said, “Council District 2 has a long, rich history of strong, stable leadership that goes back decades,” he said. “If you look at the people that have served in this seat, they generally serve on multiple terms. That is a foundation, and that is a legacy that I want to build upon in order to serve the people of southwest Denver.”
As Police Chief, Pazen had a tough-on-crime stand and championed community policing supporting programs such as STAR and LEAD, both programs to keep low-level offenders out of jail. Pazen also walked in protest with local groups protesting George Floyd’s death.
Election Day is more than a year away and Pazen awaits the opportunity to serve District 2 with experience and leadership.
