Denver City Councilwoman Sarah Parady announced Monday that she will resign in August due to health concerns.
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Parady, who voters elected in 2023, serves as one of the council’s at-large members, meaning she represents the entire city rather than a specific district. She announced her decision through tears during a council meeting Monday.
“I do not want to stop. This is where I want to be,” she said. “But it is not in the cards.”
Parady, one of the council’s progressive members, said she doesn’t know exactly why her health has taken a turn, but that going up stairs is “more exhausting than it used to be to go up a 14er” and that she is experiencing spinning spells and pain everywhere.
She said she doesn’t believe her illness is a progressive, undiagnosed disease but rather a chronic one that’s “medically not well understood.”
“I can’t meaningfully do this job and be a parent and try to be a medical mystery in the good hours that I have every day,” she said.
She added that she will wait to resign until Aug. 5 so that the city doesn’t have to pay for a special election to replace her. Her successor will be chosen on the November ballot. That person will serve out the rest of Parady’s term through July 19, 2027. All 13 council seats will be up for election in April 2027.
Parady will continue to serve on the City Council until that time, but will no longer be chair of the council’s Community Planning and Housing Committee.
Throughout her time on council, Parady, who is also an attorney, has often asked detailed, critical questions of the initiatives before the elected body.
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She has frequently challenged Mayor Mike Johnston’s administration. Parady was one of the most vocal opponents of the city’s Flock license plate reader system, which the council ultimately voted to replace. She also questioned Johnston’s plan to purchase land to build a women’s soccer stadium in the Baker neighborhood.
Johnston called Parady a “tireless advocate for Denverites” in a statement following her announcement and said he has enjoyed working with her to create and preserve affordable housing and to protect immigrants.
“Public service requires dedication, resilience and a willingness to stand up for your beliefs and the beliefs of your constituents,” he said. “Councilwoman Parady has consistently demonstrated those qualities. And though we have sometimes viewed issues differently, I have never questioned her values or her deep desire to improve the lives of Denverites.”
Parady’s fellow council members, along with everyone in attendance in the chamber, gave Parady a standing ovation after she announced her decision.
“Councilwoman Parady has been a thoughtful leader, a principled voice and a champion for the issues she cares deeply about,” Council President Amanda Sandoval said.
Parady said she decided to announce her resignation early in part to give people more time to consider whether they would like to run for the position.
“Thank you for the chance to represent you,” she said. “It is the best thing I have ever done, or will ever do.”
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