John Kellner

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John Kellner

Republican Party

Prior offices

Arapahoe County District Attorney

Successor: Amy Padden

Predecessor: George Brauchler

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Elections and appointments

Last election

November 8, 2022

Education

Bachelor's

University of Florida, 2003

Law

University of Colorado Boulder, 2006

Military

Service / branch

U.S. Marine Corps

Personal

Birthplace

Virginia

Religion

Episcopalian

Profession

District Attorney

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign X

Campaign Instagram

Personal Facebook

Personal LinkedIn

John Kellner (Republican Party) was the Arapahoe County District Attorney in Colorado. He assumed office on January 12, 2021. He left office on January 14, 2025.

Kellner (Republican Party) ran for election for Attorney General of Colorado. He lost in the general election on November 8, 2022.

Kellner completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Kellner earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Florida, a J.D. from the University of Colorado-Boulder School of Law, and a military citation from the Marine Corps Command and Staff College. He has served in the U.S. Marine Corps since 2003. His career experience includes working as a district attorney.

Elections

2022

See also: Colorado Attorney General election, 2022

General election

General election for Attorney General of Colorado

Incumbent Phil Weiser defeated John Kellner, William Robinson, and Stanley Thorne in the general election for Attorney General of Colorado on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Phil Weiser (D)	54.7	1,349,133
		John Kellner (R)	43.0	1,060,866
	Submit photo	William Robinson (L)	2.2	54,557
	Submit photo	Stanley Thorne (Independent) (Write-in)	0.1	1,772

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 2,466,328
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Attorney General of Colorado

Incumbent Phil Weiser advanced from the Democratic primary for Attorney General of Colorado on June 28, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Phil Weiser	100.0	504,071

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 504,071
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Attorney General of Colorado

John Kellner advanced from the Republican primary for Attorney General of Colorado on June 28, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		John Kellner	100.0	504,631

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 504,631
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

2020

See also: Municipal elections in Arapahoe County, Colorado (2020)

General election

General election for Arapahoe County District Attorney

John Kellner defeated Amy Padden in the general election for Arapahoe County District Attorney on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		John Kellner (R)	50.1	287,396
		Amy Padden (D)	49.9	285,963

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 573,359
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Arapahoe County District Attorney

Amy Padden defeated Matt Maillaro in the Democratic primary for Arapahoe County District Attorney on June 30, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Amy Padden	71.7	112,224
	Submit photo	Matt Maillaro	28.3	44,297

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 156,521
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Arapahoe County District Attorney

John Kellner advanced from the Republican primary for Arapahoe County District Attorney on June 30, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		John Kellner	100.0	98,974

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 98,974
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Endorsements

To view Kellner's endorsements in the 2020 election, please click here.

Campaign themes

2022

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

John Kellner completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2022. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Kellner's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Growing up in a military family, I learned early the values of service to your community, doing the right thing even when it’s hard, and the importance of servant leadership.

I graduated from the University of Florida, earned a commission as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps, and attended law school in Boulder, Colorado—where I met my wife on the first day of class.

I spent the first five years after law school on active duty in the Marine Corps, holding various prosecutorial roles from Military Justice Office to Special Assistant U.S. Attorney. I deployed to Afghanistan where I helped local government leaders resolve conflicts in the absence of a formal justice system, helped build schools for girls who were previously denied access to education, worked to train the local police force, and participated in operational planning for military operations and local elections.

After resigning from active duty, I worked as a prosecutor in the Boulder County District Attorney’s Office before joining the 18th Judicial District in 2013 to start a Cold Case Unit. In 2016 I was named “Prosecutor of the Year” by the Colorado District Attorney’s Council. I continue to serve in the Marine Corps Reserve as a Lieutenant Colonel.

I currently serve as the elected District Attorney for Colorado’s 18th Judicial District, the most populous district, serving approximately 1.1 million residents.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• FIGHTING COLORADO'S CRIME WAVE - Colorado’s violent crime rate is at a 25 year high. Colorado is #1 in the country for car theft, #2 for property crime, and we have skyrocketing numbers of fentanyl deaths. As Attorney General, I will work to establish tougher penalties for repeat offenders and keep violent criminals behind bars where they belong.
• STANDING UP FOR COLORADO’S CITIZENS - I will not stand by as our families are endangered. In addition to Colorado's highest inflation rate in the country, families are being hit with an estimated $31 billion in the annual cost of crime. I will ensure victims and law-abiding citizens are prioritized over offenders.
• SUPPORTING THE POLICE - Colorado’s law enforcement put their lives on the line to protect us every day and they deserve to know we support them. We should be funding and supporting the best possible training for our police, rather than demoralizing and delegitimizing them. As a career prosecutor I have built strong relationships with countless police officers, sheriffs, and troopers to promote safer streets and communities.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Tackling the fentanyl crisis - Over the last few years we've seen more than a 400% increase in fentanyl-related deaths, in large part due to drug cartels setting up shop in Colorado. We've lost over 900 lives to this deadly drug last year alone, and 29 children between the ages of 10-18 in the last school year.

As a District Attorney, I have worked hand-in-hand with federal and state law enforcement partners to go after the drug traffickers peddling this poison. We have charged dozens of drug traffickers, seized over 30 firearms, and hundreds of thousands of fentanyl pills destined for our streets. I have also prosecuted dealers for murder and child abuse. As Colorado's next Attorney General I will use our statewide grand jury to aggressively investigate and prosecute the cartels that are destroying so many lives across our state.

While dealers must be held accountable, we must also provide effective drug treatment resources for those struggling with addiction. Over the last decade I have helped establish drug diversion and problem-solving courts that actually work, with much higher success rates than we see with traditional parole programs. As Attorney General, I will advocate for funding to ensure people struggling with addiction have access to counseling and treatment all across our state.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

Campaign website

Kellner's campaign website stated the following:

“	FIGHTING COLORADO’S CRIME WAVE Colorado’s violent crime rate is at a 25 year high. And at roughly 50%, Colorado’s prison recidivism rates are some of the worst in the country. As our Attorney General, John will work to establish tougher penalties for repeat offenders and keep violent criminals behind bars where they belong. STANDING UP FOR COLORADO’S CITIZENS John will not stand by as our families are endangered. He will ensure victims and law-abiding citizens are prioritized over offenders. With deadly fentanyl flowing across the southern border unchecked, Colorado’s next Attorney General must be willing to take the fight to the federal government, regardless of which political party is in power. SUPPORTING THE POLICE Colorado’s law enforcement put their lives on the line to protect us every day and they deserve to know we support them. We should be funding and supporting the best possible training for our police, rather than demoralizing and delegitimizing them. As a career prosecutor John has built strong relationships with countless police officers, sheriffs, and troopers to promote safer streets and communities. HELPING COLORADO RECOVER At the height of the pandemic, Colorado paid out $100 million in fraudulent unemployment claims. Now, Colorado’s hard workers face a hit to their paycheck to replenish the unemployment fund. And with crime at historic rates, Colorado has plummeted from 11th to 29th in “business friendliness.” John will always fight to hold the scammers and fraudsters who prey on Coloradans accountable.	”
—John Kellner's campaign website (2022)

2020

John Kellner completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2020. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Kellner's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am a husband, a father, and a Marine who has served this country since I graduated law school, first as a Judge Advcoate, a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney and now in the DAs office as a Chief Deputy DA. I supervised the largest felony prosecution team in Arapahoe county and currently supervise all prosecutions in Douglas, Elbert and Lincoln counties. I've been selected as Prosecutor of the Year for the entire State of Colorado by bipartisan DAs. I started the Cold Case Unit to bring justice to those who thought it was lost. I helped start the Veterans Treatment Court because I believe in rehabilitation over incarceration when it is safe to do so.

I am the only candidate who has worked in this community, for this community, for the last 8 years. I am the only candidate supported by current and former sheriffs from all four counties, as well as law enforcement, first responders and firefighters from across the entire judicial district. These relationships help me solve crime, create policies that deter crime, and fairly hold offenders accountable under the law.

I care about doing the right thing over politics.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• Violent Crime Prevention: Crimes of violence are devastating to our community. So many families have lost someone they love due to an act of senseless violence. Survivors often face injuries that leave lifelong scars - both physical and psychological. No one deserves to live in an area where they are constantly in fear for their safety or the safety of their loved ones. But here's the reality in Aurora, the largest city in our jurisdiction: homicides are up 68% this year; shootings up 35%. My experience working on the toughest cases in our jurisdiction has given me important insight into these crimes, and I will aggressively prosecute the violent criminals who commit violent crimes.
• Transparency, Accountability and Equity: As District Attorney I will create the most transparent office in the state. The public needs access to what we do day-in and day-out - not just what shows up in the papers on high-profile cases. I will dramatically expand the data we make available to the public on the number and types of cases we file, with monthly data published to our website on an interactive dashboard where citizens can see and the cases we work on and the outcomes of those cases. This will help the community understand how frequently and on what types of cases we are seeking a treatment-oriented sentences versus prison sentences.
• Opportunities for Rehabilitation: Substance abuse and addiction issues are often a gateway into the criminal justice system. Before COVID-19, the opioid epidemic was front page news. Now it has taken a second seat to other pressing concerns, but tragically, during these last 6 months of the pandemic, overdose deaths have skyrocketed. Battles with addiction destabilize our communities, and often defendants find themselves facing charges for other crimes because of their struggles with addiction, or even more tragically, because they use illegal drugs to cope with undiagnosed mental health challenges. As DA, I will focus on intervention and treatment with a goal to reunite families and expand access to treatment.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I helped found the Veterans' Treatment Court in the 18th Judicial district to bring an aggressive treatment program to offenders who might otherwise be going to prison. That treatment court model now includes treatment courts for drug addiction, mental health issues, and a DUIs, and has been extremely successful not only in saving the high financial and societal cost of prison, but also increasing defendants' chances at real rehabilitation. These treatment courts focus on higher risk offenders whose crimes could otherwise lead them to a prison sentence, but with significant assistance from mental health professionals and our office's engagement, we are able to fix the root cause of the crime and reduce recidivism well below the state's average of 50%. As your elected DA, I plan to increase access to treatment courts, and to expand them into other areas where they may be helpful.

While, treatment courts are meant to assist people who have committed more serious crimes because of underlying drug, mental health, or alcohol problems, an entirely separate category of offenses (usually misdemeanors) are oftentimes handled through the 18th Judicial District's diversion programs. Currently the 18th Judicial District has juvenile and adult diversion programs. Typically, diversion programs are for first or second time, low level offenders, who if they complete certain requirements like paying restitution, community service or restorative justice, can have their case dismissed.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

9/11 will always stand out for me. I was a young college student when I saw the towers fall on TV. I remember the profound feeling of loss, and thinking about the incredible bravery of the heroes who rushed into the towers to help save lives. I knew I wanted to do my part, whatever that may be. I decided to serve my country and was commissioned at 21 years old as a 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps. Today I continue to serve in the Marine Corps Reserve as a Lieutenant Colonel.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

My very first job was as a bookseller at a bookstore. I've always enjoyed reading and learning, especially growing up in a military family and moving every few years and living overseas. It's been a joy to pass that same love of reading on to my children as well.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

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