A commonly accepted wisdom has long held that a “Boulder liberal” can’t win statewide office, but in an election year that saw a number of electoral firsts from coast to coast, Jared Polis just likely put that canard to permanent rest with an emphatic win Tuesday to claim the distinction of becoming the nation’s first openly gay governor-elect.
Colorado has had governors who hailed from Rosita, (now classified as a Custer County ghost town), Rocky Ford and Ouray — plus five born in Illinois — but none from Boulder before Polis, based on data from the National Governor’s Association. Colorado History also could not find any record of a Boulder native occupying the governor’s office
Polis, riding his record of five consecutive terms representing Colorado’s 2nd Congressional District, spending freely of his millions and buoyed also by a tide of progressive pushback against the Trump administration, ensures that Boulder’s interests are unlikely to be overlooked at the state capital for the next four years.
Polis was not available for comment, but in a statement, Polis spokesperson Mara Sheldon said, “As Jared has said, it has been the honor of his life to represent Boulder, Larimer and northern Colorado in Congress.
“Boulder has always had an innovative spirit and Jared knows his community well. His experience working with Republicans and Democrats to improve our schools, expand access to health care, and support local businesses will help him hit the ground running on Day One as governor.”
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