Former Denver Mayor Wellington Webb and former Rep. Wilma Webb have endorsed former U.S. Attorney John Walsh to be Denver’s next District Attorney. 

The endorsement demonstrates the shared vision Walsh and the Webbs have on Denver’s criminal justice system, according to a news a release Wednesday morning. Walsh’s campaign is “energized by a vision rooted in a lifetime fighting crime and working in the Denver community.” 

“I’m deeply honored and proud to earn the support of these two towering Denver community leaders. The Webbs have dedicated their careers to public service and fighting for working families across our state,” Walsh said in the release. “I am committed to working to protect the community, make our criminal justice system more fair and more just, and work with the community to build trust and stop crime before it starts.”

Wellington praised Walsh’s 30 years of experience “doing the work,” and called attention to his work on police accountability. During his time at the U.S. Attorney’s Office under the Obama Administration, he engaged in outreach efforts addressing and combating hate crimes and civil rights violations against Colorado’s Muslim and Sikh community’s, according to a U.S. Department of Justice news release when he stepped down in 2016. 

The role of Denver’s D.A. is to protect the community, build trust, improve and enhance the criminal justice system, and “ensure that victims of crimes are heard, supported and protected,” he said. Walsh was also known for finding ways to be smarter, more effective and more equitable in an approach to justice, the release said. 

“John has been doing the work for the past 30 years, he has been in our community, he has managed federal prosecutors and he has led on police accountability,” Wellington said. “Our city needs a DA who we can trust and that is why I encourage you to support John for Denver District Attorney.”

Denver is facing a litany of issues ranging from violent crime, youth violence and other crimes that hurt working class families. On top of that, addiction, homelessness and illegal immigration have quickly become focal points in the everyday discourse citywide. 

Walsh is committed to a proactive approach to addressing those issues throughout Denver in a bid to make the city safer for everyone, the release said. 

“Denver families need someone who will protect our community in a way we can all be proud of,” Wilma said. “He is someone who actually listens and who recognizes the need to improve our criminal justice system. I know he will work to make Denver safer and more just for everyone.”

The Denver District Attorney race includes Leora Joseph and Lisi Owen, who The Denver Gazette previously profiled. Former candidate Matthew James dropped out and threw his support behind Walsh, according to his website.