Judge, 18th Judicial District Court (Arapahoe County)

Natalie G. Stricklin is the sitting 18th Judicial District Court judge, standing for a retention vote on the November 3, 2026 ballot¹. She was appointed in December 2023 after a career as a state and federal public defender².

• District Court judge since December 2023²
• Deputy and Senior Deputy State Public Defender (Greeley 2007-2010, Arapahoe 2010-2015); Assistant Federal Public Defender for Colorado and Wyoming from November 2015²
• B.A., University of Michigan (2003); law degree, Michigan State University College of Law (2007)²
• Appointed to the District Court bench in December 2023; the evaluation page does not name the appointing governor². This is a retention election: voters decide yes or no on keeping the sitting judge, and no opponent is on the ballot¹.
• Bar poll: Colorado Office of Judicial Performance Evaluation, 2026 evaluation: Recommendation: Meets Performance Standards. "The Eighteenth Judicial District Commission on Judicial Performance agrees by a vote of 8-0, with one member absent and one vacancy on the Commission, that Judge Natalie G. Stricklin MEETS PERFORMANCE STANDARDS." This is an official state commission evaluation of the judge's performance, not an endorsement².