Paul Pazen, former Denver police chief, to run for Denver City Council

Former Denver Police Chief Paul Pazen, who retired as chief in 2022, plans to announce next week that he is running for a seat on Denver City Council.

Pazen confirmed his intentions Tuesday night, telling CBS Colorado, "I'm running for Denver City Council District 2 because southwest Denver deserves leadership that listens, shows up, and will work tirelessly for the people who live and work here."

The seat will be vacated by current councilman Kevin Flynn, who will be term limited out after serving three terms.

Pazen was with DPD for 27 years, serving his last four years with the department as chief.

"I care deeply about the things that impact our daily lives: I believe in safe and affordable neighborhoods, city services you can count on, supporting our small business and helping the hardworking people of southwest Denver have a better life now and in the future," Pazen told CBS Colorado.

The election will be held in April 2027 and Pazen is the second candidate to announce his candidacy for the seat.

One other candidate, Tran Nguyen-Wills, has already announced she is running for the seat. According to her LinkedIn profile, Nguyen-Wills is an appointee of Mayor Mike Johnston and serves as his Deputy Outreach Director.