John Walsh wins Democratic primary for Denver's district attorney

John Walsh defeated Leora Joseph in the Democratic primary for Denver's district attorney , he declared Tuesday night just before 9pm.

Why it matters: The former U.S. attorney now stands as the presumptive winner in the November general election to replace outgoing District Attorney Beth McCann as the city's top prosecutor.

• Denver's district attorney has the power to shape public safety policies and determine the direction of law enforcement for the next four years.

State of play: The former U.S. attorney has locked in 58% of the vote, while Leora Joseph has raked in about 42%, according to unofficial results released at 11:30pm Tuesday from the Denver Elections Division.

• That separates the two Democrats by about 12,200 votes.
• Walsh said Joseph called him to concede shortly after 8:30pm, after the second batch of results rolled in.

The big picture: Walsh's victory signals Denver's progressive policies on crime will continue.

• Joseph, who was backed by the Denver police union, had taken a more moderate-to-conservative stance , calling for a complete overhaul of the office and a tougher-on-crime approach.
• Walsh, who was endorsed by McCann, said the office needs to "double down" on violent crime — but also expand drug and mental health courts to send defendants into treatment instead of jail.
• Unlike his opponent, Walsh also said he is open to creating a pilot safe use site in the city that allows people to use drugs under supervision.

What they're saying: "We need a DA who's going to bring a firm, fair and energetic approach to enforcing the law, but also actively partnering with the entire community," and "that's the kind of DA I will be," Walsh told supporters at his watch party at the Bar at Plaza 38.

• Denver Mayor Mike Johnston said, "This is a great night for Denver."
• McCann said she was confident the city would "be in good hands with John."

The other side: "I'm excited for John's leadership," Joseph told Axios Denver after conceding the race Tuesday night. "I know he's going to bring great change. He has a lot of integrity, and he's going to serve the city well — and Denver is going to be better for it."

Zoom in: Boosting Walsh's chances of winning, apart from his lengthy experience in local politics, was his backing by national Democratic leaders.

• That includes former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, his former boss, who praised Walsh for his "integrity" and experience in his first TV ad .

Follow the money: Also upping Walsh's odds was his fundraising advantage over Joseph.

• He led the money race with a total of about $477,000 raised over Joseph's roughly $342,000, the latest campaign finance reports show.

What's next: Although Walsh is the presumptive winner between the two Democrats — because there were no GOP candidates in the running — it's still possible for unaffiliated and write-in candidates to hop in the race ahead of November, so long as they do so by mid-July, Denver Elections Division spokesperson Mikayla Ortega tells us.

• The candidate who wins the November general election will take office in January 2025 for a four-year-term.

Axios Denver reporter Esteban Hernandez contributed to this story.