Unaffiliated Denver district attorney candidate Helen Morgan called her recently released 90-day plan that spells out her priorities as coming at “a critical juncture” and points out “very real differences” between herself and her opponent, Democratic candidate Beth McCann.

The winner in the Nov. 8 general election will succeed term-limited District Attorney Mitch Morrissey, and either Morgan or McCann will be the first female DA in Denver history. Morgan is currently the office’s chief deputy DA of county court cases, where she supervises 13 lawyers who handled more than 12,000 cases last year.

McCann worked for eight years in the Denver DA’s office, including a stint as chief deputy DA. She left the office in 1983 and was also deputy state attorney general, Denver’s first manager of safety, and is now a state representative for District 8.

“We both have similar approaches and philosophies when it comes to the reforms we need to make in the criminal justice system,” Morgan told The Colorado Statesman on Friday, Oct. 7. “With ballots going out to voters on Oct. 17, it’s important to me to show that I have a specific plan, not just ideas.”

Morgan’s plan addresses victim issues, police discipline and shootings, bail reform, prosecution best practices, problem-solving courts, managing the DA’s office and engaging the community. On McCann’s website, her “vision for the DA’s office” lists improving the juvenile justice system, addressing the disproportionate incarceration of people of color, reducing recidivism rates, strengthening public safety, prioritizing prosecution of predators and establishing a veteran’s court as priorities.

“Anytime you have a change in leadership, you want to let people know what you will do moving forward,” Morgan said. “I wanted to make sure we had the resources (in the DA’s budget) to do these things immediately and I won’t need one extra cent.”

However, one goal – establishing a mental health court – is not likely to be accomplished in 90 days, Morgan noted.

“We must absolutely do better with those who struggle with mental health challenges,” she stated on her website page outlining the plan. “It is a disgrace that there are more jail beds than treatment beds for those with mental health issues. I am also realistic about how difficult accessing services can be. Therefore, I will not promise that a mental health court will be up and running in 90 days. But I am committed, as I have been my entire career, to giving offenders the support and assistance they need to be productive members of society, and this will be a priority.”

Morgan also said the plan’s goal of better management of the DA’s office is not meant to cause concern or worry among office staff.

“I would hope they would be heartened to see I consider them to be the most valuable resource,” she added. “I want to convene an employee vision group to help me strategize how to help them work better and more efficiently, whether that’s things like part-time or flex-time or whatever.”

In an email to supporters announcing the plan, Morgan cited her 22 years of experience as a prosecutor and the need for Denver’s next DA to “be ready to hit the ground running in January. There is absolutely no time for on-the-job training. We’ve got work to do, cases to prosecute, changes to make, not inaugural balls to attend. I’m a prosecutor, not a politician, and I’m ready to go to work for the citizens of Denver on day one.”

Morgan’s campaign manager, Theresa Blumberg, stated in the email that while McCann spends the remaining days of this election cycle “attending power lunches with political deal brokers, securing high-profile political endorsements and doing what she’s trained to do for the past two decades of her life – serving as one of Denver’s best career politicians – Helen has been preparing her action plan to make ground-breaking changes in Denver’s criminal justice system.”

McCann told the Statesman she has not been attending power lunches and considered Blumberg’s comments “disrespectful and maybe a little snippy.”

“I’ve been an elected official for eight years out of a 40-year career, so if that makes me a career politician, I don’t know,” McCann said. “I don’t buy that the word ‘politician’ is a dirty word. I took an oath to serve the people, and I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished, the laws I’ve written and injustices I’ve helped correct.”

McCann said the DA’s office needs more than a prosecutor, it needs a leader who shows they can accomplish goals. And McCann said she works hard to raise funds for her campaign, she doesn’t get help from political power brokers.

“It’s really, really hard work,” she stated. “I spend hours and hours calling people three or four times, I don’t have people meet me and just sign checks for me.”