Who is running for Arapahoe County Court, Retention: Judge Colleen Clark in 2026?

Judge, Arapahoe County Court

Colleen Clark is the sitting Arapahoe County Court judge, standing for a retention vote on the November 3, 2026 ballot¹. She was appointed in October 2016 after serving as a magistrate, municipal judge and prosecutor².

• Arapahoe County Court judge since October 6, 2016; presides over a criminal county court docket²
• Magistrate and municipal court judge before her appointment; earlier a prosecutor across the state specializing in crimes against persons, mostly children²
• Political science degree, University of Rochester; juris doctorate, Boston University²
• Appointed to the bench on October 6, 2016; 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 7-1, with one member absent and one vacancy on the Commission, that Judge Colleen Clark MEETS PERFORMANCE STANDARDS." This is an official state commission evaluation of the judge's performance, not an endorsement². The commission's written finding also says: "Some respondents expressed concerns that Judge Clark can be at times slow to make rulings, appears to be visibly frustrated at times, and has opportunity to grow with how she engages with pro se litigants." It also describes her as "fair, calm, punctual, and courteous."²