Denver democratic socialist mayoral candidate Shontel Lewis said her criminal conviction for stealing public-assistance benefits is part of what qualifies her to oversee Colorado’s largest city. Pressed about the theft of public money, Lewis defended the episode as an experience that gave her firsthand knowledge of poverty. She said she paid restitution and completed her sentence after doing something she now describes as “really silly.” Lewis is currently seeking authority over Denver’s government, services, and multibillion-dollar budget.
The comments came during a September 9th interview with Kyle Clark of “Next with Kyle Clark” on Denver’s 9NEWS. Lewis, who has represented District 8 on the Denver City Council since 2023, is running against incumbent Mayor Mike Johnston in the city’s 2027 election. She entered the race in July and later secured the endorsement of the Denver chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America. Clark asked her directly about the conviction during their discussion of her qualifications for the office.
“What do you say to folks who believe that that criminal conviction is disqualifying for somebody who wants to serve as mayor because it involved public monies?” Clark asked. The question concerned Lewis’s 2008 guilty plea in a case involving thousands of dollars in public-assistance benefits. Clark framed the issue around Lewis’s use of public money while she worked in a government benefits office. Lewis rejected the suggestion that the conviction should prevent her from holding the mayor’s office.
“I actually think that experience is what actually qualifies me,” Lewis responded. “Twenty years ago, I was young. I was a young mom. I was grieving. I did something really silly, and I paid my restitution. I did my time, and I took care of what I needed to do, while also navigating all of the ills of poverty.” Her answer focused on her age, motherhood, grief, restitution, and poverty. Lewis didn’t dispute the conviction or the underlying misuse of public benefits during the exchange.
As the Washington Free Beacon reported, Lewis pleaded guilty to misdemeanor theft in 2008 after initially facing felony charges. She worked at the Colorado Department of Human Services East Food Stamp Office and was accused of using that position to reissue Electronic Benefit Transfer cards connected to accounts intended for other recipients. Court records showed that she admitted reissuing the cards for use by her roommate and herself. She received 18 months of probation and later said she paid restitution in full.
The conviction previously generated questions about Lewis’s eligibility to hold public office under a provision of the Colorado Constitution concerning embezzlement of public money. The legal question surfaced during her successful 2018 campaign for a seat on the Regional Transportation District board, but it was never conclusively resolved in court. Lewis went on to serve on the RTD board before winning her Denver City Council seat in 2023. She has now moved from overseeing a council district to seeking the city’s top executive position.
Watch Lewis defend her conviction here:
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Lewis’s mayoral campaign is centered on a democratic socialist platform that includes social housing, participatory budgeting, restored city services, universal basic income, and a “fair-share tax structure” aimed at the ultra-wealthy. Her campaign website says she wants Denver residents to “co-govern” the city through community cabinets and a citywide civic assembly. It also calls for social housing and universal basic income as components of a broader economic safety net. Lewis’s official City Council biography presents her personal history as a story of “redemption, second chances and transformation.”
The Denver DSA formally endorsed Lewis on August 25th, describing her as a candidate who has spent her career advancing socialist policies. The organization said its almost 2,000 members would be committed to volunteering for her campaign following candidate forums, internal deliberations, and an all-member vote. Lewis previously ran with the group’s endorsement during her successful 2023 City Council campaign. The chapter credited her with supporting municipal sentencing reform, renter protections, collective-bargaining rights for city employees, and protections for transgender residents.
Accepting the endorsement, Lewis declared that she was “proudly running again as a democratic socialist” and said union organizers and struggling Denver residents had urged her to enter the race. She promised a campaign centered on what she believes the city and its residents deserve. “We will bring lasting and real change to Denver,” Lewis said. “We have a world to win and I am committed to the vision.”
Featured image credit: screengrab from the embedded video.