Who is running for 2nd Judicial District (Denver) District Court, Retention: Judge Christopher J. Baumann in 2026?

Chief Judge, Denver District Court (Second Judicial District (Denver), District Court)

Christopher J. Baumann is the sitting Chief Judge, Denver District Court, standing for a retention vote on the November 3, 2026 ballot¹. Denver District Court Judge since January 2018; Chief Judge of the court since 2022². The commission found the judge meets performance standards²⁴.

• Denver District Court Judge since January 2018; Chief Judge of the court since 2022²
• Attorney in the Denver Office of the Colorado State Public Defender from 2002, head of that office from 2010²
• University of Colorado; Tulane University law degree²
• Colorado judges are first appointed by the governor to a provisional term and then stand for retention³. Christopher J. Baumann was appointed to the Denver District Court in January 2018². 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: the page prints "Recommendation: Meets Performance Standards" and states: "The Second Judicial District Commission on Judicial Performance unanimously agrees by a vote of 10-0 that Judge Christopher J. Baumann MEETS PERFORMANCE STANDARDS."²⁴. This is an official state commission evaluation of the judge's performance, not an endorsement.
• Public discipline: Searched on 2026-10-08: the Colorado Commission on Judicial Discipline's public Determination Database (17 public determinations, 1984 to 2025, all four result pages viewed), its list of public court filings (Matters of Grattan, MacLaren and Murphy) and the public discipline section of its 2025 Annual Report; none names this judge. Not checked: discipline short of a public proceeding, which is confidential and not listed by name, and Colorado Supreme Court attorney regulation records.⁵