8th Judicial District Attorney election: Q&A with Democratic incumbent Gordon McLaughlin
Current occupation and top 3 most relevant experiences
I am the current 8th Judicial District Attorney. I’m a career prosecutor, having worked previously as a Deputy DA in Eagle and Larimer counties. As the first Democrat ever elected, I transformed the culture by achieving community safety in ways that support victims, mitigate bias, and exercise compassion; and I stood up to support our values like reproductive rights and smart gun safety reforms.
What made you want to run for this position?
I was inspired to enter public service by my grandmothers. My Grandma Helen worked with Mother Theresa volunteering in orphanages in Calcutta. My Grandma Bev was a secretary with the New York State Police for 30 years. They instilled values of service to others, supporting the most vulnerable and fighting for your beliefs. I saw our criminal justice system did not support those without the opportunities that others had and refused to innovate. We needed to chart a new course and while we’ve seen incredible progress, much work remains. I’m eager to continue serving our community in a second term.
What's your top issue in this election? Tell us what actions you would take to address it.
As your DA, my top priority is to keep our community safe. This commitment includes addressing gun violence, holding violent offenders accountable and increasing our focus on hate crimes and sexual assault. My vision for violent crime prevention includes using our new Domestic Violence Team to target high-risk offenders, support victims and enforce firearm restrictions for offenders. I will continue advocating at the Colorado Capitol for laws that keep us safe in a changing world, including upcoming bills to increase victim services funding and keep our roads safe from dangerous and impaired drivers.
What's your second most important issue in this election? Tell us what actions you would take to address it.
I will continue to fight the fentanyl crisis. For those struggling with addiction, our priority is supporting treatment that will help them recover and remain law-abiding. I’ve helped put $5.5 million into local treatment, education and harm reduction programs over the past two years. Simultaneously, I’ve held those poisoning our community accountable by developing innovative models to prosecute those who kill our neighbors with fentanyl, models being copied around the state. In my next term, I will expand these strategies and continue our decrease in fentanyl-related crime and overdoses.
https://www.coloradoan.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/10/13/8th-judicial-district-attorney-election-colorado-qa-with-gordon-mclaughlin/75599505007/