A Dedicated Democrat,
A Pragmatic and Progressive Public Servant
For his entire adult life, Matt James has supported progressive ideas and candidates. Matt began his work with the Democratic party in 2008, as a volunteer knocking on doors for Barack Obama. He has remained active with the Democratic party since, helping with political campaigns and volunteering as a precinct organizer. Matt has also served the community as a Deputy District Attorney for more than eleven years, first in the 4th and 17th Judicial Districts, and then for the past six years in Denver.
A PROSECUTOR DEDICATED TO HELPING THE COMMUNITY:
In Matt’s years of experience as a Deputy District Attorney, he has prosecuted all types of offenses, from simple traffic matters to complex murder-for-hire schemes. While he has worked on a vast range of cases, his goal has always been to enforce the law with compassion and fairness, making the community safer and seeking justice for victims. The broad scope of his experience has given him the perspective to understand the criminal justice system and prepared him to serve as the leader within the Denver District Attorney’s Office. His experience has also taught him how the system needs to change.
Matt got his start working as a county court attorney in Colorado Springs in 2011, focusing on prosecuting drunk drivers and domestic violence offenders. He rose to become a district court prosecutor in 2012, dealing with all types of felonies, including drug offenses, property crimes, and crimes of violence. He spent his greatest efforts working to ensure violent and repeat offenders were held accountable for their actions. In 2015, Matt sought to return to Denver and spent a year working as a civil litigator in a private practice. He returned to work as a prosecutor in 2016, spending a year with Adams and Broomfield Counties before being hired with the Denver District Attorney’s Office in 2017. Since starting with the Denver D.A., Matt has worked at nearly every level of the office, serving in county court, district court, the Family Violence Unit, and most recently as a Chief Deputy District Attorney. Working with the Family Violence unit, Matt spent his time almost exclusively prosecuting felony domestic violence offenses and crimes against children. Since he became a chief, his primary focus has been mentoring younger attorneys and prosecuting sexual assaults and murders.
Matt’s experience with the criminal justice system taught him the importance of offering resources to those who need help with substance use or mental health struggles. At the same time, he learned the importance of appropriately prosecuting repeat offenders and those who have hurt others, particularly when they targeted the vulnerable and the innocent. His time as a Deputy D.A. has also shown him the importance of listening to members of the community and victims of crime to learn how crime has impacted them and what may be done to help bring them as much justice as is possible. Matt's experience with the criminal justice system also showed him that it must change. That's why he is seeking to build an evidence based system of prosecution to help reduce recidivism, increase equity, and improve the community.
A LIFELONG DEMOCRAT:
Matt got his start in Denver working for Democrats. Matt volunteered for Bill Ritter’s gubernatorial reelection campaign, John Hickenlooper’s campaign for governor, and with the Denver office of Senator Mark Udall. He was ultimately hired to work on a bipartisan ballot campaign as a coalition organizer and then as assistant to Michael Hancock in his first race for Denver Mayor. After he began his work as a Deputy District Attorney, Matt continued to volunteer his time to assist the El Paso County Democrats, then-State Representative Pete Lee, Senator Udall’s reelection campaign, Beth McCann’s campaign for Denver District Attorney, and Hillary Clinton’s campaign for president. Matt has volunteered with the Democratic party as a precinct organizer everywhere he has lived since 2012. He is currently a member of the Century Club. His political experience taught him the importance of listening to voters and working with principle and pragmatism to improve the community.
Matt went to Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, and graduated with a degree in English in 2004. He attended law school at the Georgetown University Law Center, in Washington, D.C.
Matt met his wife, Angela Petkoff, through the Denver Young Democrats in 2013. She is a geriatric nurse practitioner. They have two cats, Ruth Bader Catsburg and Martin Catsburg. Matt and Angela enjoy hiking fourteeners, skiing, and experiencing all the culture Denver has to offer.