On May 7, elections will be held for many positions in the City of Denver government, including mayor, councilmembers, auditor and clerk and recorder.

This year, three candidates are looking to take Debra Johnson’s seat as clerk and recorder. She previously said that she will not seek re-election for the role. As clerk and recorder, Johnson oversaw the issuing of marriage licenses, housing foreclosures and auctions and other record keeping duties. 

Paul Lopez is a 40-year-old resident of West Villa Park who has more than 10 years of experience in Denver government as a councilmember. In an interview with The Denver Post, Lopez said that he wanted to give more Denver residents power by educating them on foreclosures so they can properly defend themselves, increasing voter turnout and removing the cost barrier to access city documents. He is wary of issues of campaign finance and wants to hire new administrators to monitor elections to start. 

Peg Pearl is 44-year-old, Arizona native but has lived in Denver for nearly 10 years. She works as a lawyer and an adjunct professor here at DU. As a previous member of the House Elections Commission and the U.S. House Ethics committee, she has an eye for government accountability and wants to bring that expertise to the Denver clerk and recorder by ensuring secure elections and “breaking down barriers” to voting. Her previous expertise is an asset to her when it comes to campaign finance, which she prioritizes. 

Sarah O. McCarthy, age 66, has been a resident of Washington Park since 1980. She has had a myriad of jobs in government which gives her administration experience, an important asset for clerk and ecorder. She wants to streamline the records process in Denver’s government and make it easier for Denverites to educate themselves on government and its functions. She wants to increase voter turnout as well, possibly by implementing online voting.