Coloradans to Watch 2026: Barb Kirkmeyer, Running for Governor

Colorado hasn’t elected a Republican governor in 23 years. Barbara Kirkmeyer wants to change that in 2026.

The state senator from Brighton is one of 23 Republicans who’s filed to run for the office. But unlike many of her competitors, Kirkmeyer might actually have a shot at winning.

Since launching her campaign in September, Kirkmeyer’s name has risen to the top of the crowded primary field, inspiring hope among party analysts and earning endorsements from the likes of U.S. Congressman Gabe Evans and former Governor Bill Owens, Colorado’s only Republican governor in the last fifty years.

“Colorado is ready for a new direction. They’re ready for a person like myself,” Kirkmeyer says. “One-party control hasn’t served us well. …We’re unaffordable, we’re unsafe, our roads are crumbling. Quite frankly, we’re unraveling. Enough is enough.”

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Democrats currently have a stranglehold over Colorado. Since 2019, Democrats have held every statewide executive office and majority control over the state Senate and House. Colorado has voted for Democratic presidential nominees in each election since 2008.

However, when it comes to active registered voters, Democrats only outnumber Republicans by a small margin. Around 50 percent of Colorado voters are unaffiliated, while 25 percent are Democrats and nearly 23 percent are Republicans.

A recent poll of Colorado voters found that 52 percent disapprove of term-limited Governor Jared Polis, and 44 percent disapprove of U.S. Senator Michael Bennet, one of two leading Democrats running for governor. The poll also found that a majority of respondents feel the state is “on the wrong track.”

“It’s time for a governor who knows how to govern,” Kirkmeyer says. “The people are just as fed up as I am. They’re ready for a common-sense conservative who’s going to roll up her sleeves and deliver real results. …I won’t raise your taxes. I’ll fight for affordability, make our community safe and fix our roads. And I’ll work with anyone working for Colorado’s best interests.”

Kirkmeyer is staunchly conservative in her policy stances, such as being anti-abortion, pro-gun rights and pro-oil and gas. But she’s differentiated herself from the more fringe MAGA side of her party.

Months after Donald Trump endorsed then-Colorado GOP Chair Dave Williams for Congress, Kirkmeyer condemned Williams and called for his removal over his “hateful narratives.” While Trump has pushed Polis to pardon election-denying former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters, Kirkmeyer won’t commit to doing so if elected governor, saying she would “consider all the facts.”

In the Senate, Kirkmeyer has a reputation for working across the aisle, particularly as a member of the powerful Joint Budget Committee, which drafts the state’s annual budget. She highlights her sponsorship of bipartisan bills that cut property taxes, provided education funding and preserved the state’s healthcare safety net.

Before she was elected in 2020, Kirkmeyer served two decades as a Weld County commissioner and led the Department of Local Affairs under Governor Owens. She unsuccessfully ran for Congress in 2014 and 2022. In the latter race, she won the Republican primary but ultimately lost to Democrat Yadira Caraveo.

“Everything I have done in my life has led me to this moment,” Kirkmeyer says. “There is no one with my level of experience. No one with my ability to build coalitions, work across the aisle and get the job done for the people of Colorado. That’s what sets me apart.”

If elected, Kirkmeyer would be the first woman to serve as Colorado governor, though she’s not particularly interested in breaking glass ceilings.

“I don’t know that it makes a big difference if you’re a male or female,” she says. “I’m just a person who likes to get things done. It’s time that I step forward and deliver for my state.”