This story was produced as part of the Colorado Capitol News Alliance. It first appeared at .
Republican state Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer is the latest candidate vying to be Colorado鈥檚 next governor.
The state senator from Brighton filed paperwork Monday making her long-anticipated 2026 bid official. She鈥檚 planning to hold a launch event Tuesday evening in Fort Lupton.
Kirkmeyer , losing narrowly to Democrat Yadira Caraveo in the 8th Congressional District. Kirkmeyer sits on the legislature鈥檚 powerful Joint Budget Committee, which makes her in the state鈥檚 budget conversations.
Before entering the legislature in 2020, Kirkmeyer spent two decades as a Weld County commissioner. As a commissioner, Kirkmeyer supported an 2013 push for 11 counties in northeastern Colorado, including Weld County, to break off from Colorado and form a 51st state.
Kirkmeyer also served as head of the Colorado Department of Local Affairs under-then Gov. Bill Owens, a Republican. Additionally, she ran unsuccessfully in 2014 for Congress in the 4th Congressional District.
Current Gov. Jared Polis is term-limited and can鈥檛 run for reelection in 2026. He won reelection in 2022 by nearly 20 percentage points. He secured his first term in 2018 by 10 points.
Colorado has not elected a Republican to be governor since 2002, when Owens secured a second term.
Two prominent Democrats are running to replace Polis: U.S. Sen. and Colorado Attorney General .
The Democratic headwinds in the race haven鈥檛 stopped a growing crowd of Republicans from mounting a run for governor, including state Rep. Scott Bottoms of Colorado Springs; Sen. Mark Baisley of Woodland Park; and Teller County Sheriff Jason Mikesell.
Baisley and Kirkmeyer serve in the state Senate together. They鈥檙e statehouse colleagues with Bottoms.
This is a developing story that will be updated.
