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Champagne wins nomination for district attorney

Democratic victor will run unopposed in November

Christian Champagne emerged victorious Tuesday in the Democratic primary for chief prosecutor of a three-county region.

Champagne won about 66 percent of the vote to Ben Lammon’s 34 percent for the 6th Judicial District Attorney’s Office, which includes Archuleta, San Juan and La Plata counties. No Republican candidates entered the race, meaning Champagne is all but certain to win formal election in November.

“I’m super excited,” Champagne said. “I’m looking forward to the chance to serve my community and do my very best as the district attorney to make this a safer and stronger community for all of us.”

It was a tough-fought primary that included allegations of irregularities during the March 1 caucus and a fair number of jabs exchanged between the candidates during the debates leading to Tuesday’s primary.

Champagne, 41, portrayed himself as a problem-solving prosecutor with the best ideas for reducing recidivism and setting criminal defendants on the right path. Lammons, a prosecutor for the Southern Ute Indian Tribe, touted his 26 years of legal experience, including at the tribal, state and federal levels. He vowed to take a tougher stance on serious crime, including rapes and homicides.

Lammons thanked those who supported him, especially the Fraternal Order of Police and his family.

“I’m thankful for the supporters that I did have,” he said. “I feel like I did my best, so I don’t have any regrets that way.”

The district attorney oversees a $2 million budget and about 25 employees, including 10 attorneys. Champagne will replace Todd Risberg, who has served for eight years and is term-limited.

Champagne has served as assistant district attorney since 2009. Before that, he served as a public defender in Durango.

During the campaign, Champagne said he has the most relevant experience to run the office and the best vision for moving it forward. He has experience dealing with every type of case that comes through the office, from petty offense to homicides.

Most defendants who enter the justice system are good individuals who have made a mistake or veered off course, he said. The system’s aim, he said, is to set them in the right path and reintegrate them with the community.

“I found a lot of people had the feeling that mass incarceration is out of control; there’s way too many people in the courts and in the jails,” he said. “We have jails and the court system for dangerous offenders, but for low-level low-risk offenders, the community sent a clear message that they want to find better solutions.”

He advocates a victim-centered approach that also strikes a balance for achieving justice.

Dangerous criminals need to be locked up, he said, and he touted his experience at winning convictions, including four homicide cases during the past seven years.

It was Champagne’s first campaign for elected office.

“It was a long haul, for sure,” he said. “I had a great group of people around me who were amazingly supportive. ... Their love and support means the world to me, that’s how I made it through.”

shane@durangoherald.com

District Attorney Todd Risberg’s last name was misspelled in an earlier version of this story.

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