COUNCILMAN, DISTRICT 10
Chris Hinds serves the people of Denver.
Elected in 2019 after years as an advocate at the local, state, and national levels for people with disabilities. Now serving his second term after winning his runoff by more than 10 percent.
The first elected official in Denver (local, state, or federal) who uses a wheelchair for mobility.
That lived experience shapes how Chris legislates: streets, sidewalks, transit, and buildings that work for every body.
HIS STORY
A life shaped by service
- TexasRural rootsBorn in rural Texas, the only child of a single mom. Earned a computer science degree at SMU, then an MBA in Finance and Strategy from SMU's Cox School of Business, going on to work in software sales and financial planning and analysis.
- 2007Colorado, for goodCame to Colorado in January 2007 to help a friend with a technology startup, and stayed for the rugged, outdoor lifestyle.
- 2008August 26: everything changesAfter photographing the Democratic National Convention, Chris was involved in a motor vehicle crash that paralyzed him from the chest down.
- 2008–18A decade of advocacyChris fought, and won, for equitable access at the local, state, and national levels: testifying before legislative committees in Denver and DC, speaking at seminars, and serving as a subject-matter expert on transportation, access, and disability.
- 2018The Chris Hinds ActGovernor Hickenlooper signed the Chris Hinds Act into law, closing loopholes that allowed fraudulent use of disability parking.
- 2019Elected to City CouncilElected to represent District 10, becoming the first elected official in Denver who uses a wheelchair for mobility. Now serving his second term.
We all deserve elected officials who use a system of values to guide their decisions. These five guide every vote Chris casts on Council:
PRIORITIES
Housing, transportation, and representation
“District 10 is close to returning to the 20-minute neighborhood, but there is still a lot of work to be done for this idea to become a reality for all. To get us there, I'm working to make sure every resident has access to three things.”
Housing
Chris advocates Denver's Housing First approach to homelessness: direct access to housing is the first step. Density, zoning, and housing are inextricably linked to homelessness. We must get creative in our solutions.
Transportation
Everyone deserves the freedom to get where they're going safely, however they choose to travel. A pothole gets patched in three days, yet 10% of Denver has no sidewalks at all, and 30% are too narrow for wheelchairs. Chris's work prioritizes people, not cars.
Representation
Denver's executive branch is far stronger than its legislature. Chris wants to restore checks and balances, bring a data-driven approach to law-making, and make City Council a functioning branch of government so your voice is heard.
Out in the district
WATCH
#BreakingBarriers, in Chris's own words
Two minutes on the crash that changed his life, the decade of advocacy that followed, and why access is the through-line of everything he does on Council.