Barbara Kirkmeyer has announced her candidacy for Colorado Governor. A seasoned Republican with a career spanning Weld County and state level leadership, she brings a reputation as a pragmatic voice in Colorado politics. Kirkmeyer first served as Weld County Commissioner from 1993 to 2000 before joining Governor Bill Owens’ administration as Acting Executive Director of the Department of Local Affairs, a cabinet-level post. She later returned to Weld County as commissioner from 2009 to 2020 before winning election to the State Senate in 2020, where she has served since January 2021. This run is not her first attempt at higher office. Kirkmeyer ran unsuccessfully for Congress in 2014 in the 4th Congressional District, and again in 2022, losing narrowly to Democrat Yadira Caraveo in the newly created 8th District. Her new gubernatorial campaign underscores the growing ambitions of Colorado Republicans despite the state’s shift toward Democrats over the past two decades. Colorado has not elected a Republican governor since 2002, when Owens secured his second term. The political landscape now includes high profile Democrats such as U.S. Senator Michael Bennet and Attorney General Phil Weiser, both seeking to succeed Governor Jared Polis, who is term limited. On the Republican side, Kirkmeyer joins a field already featuring State Representative Scott Bottoms of Colorado Springs, Senator Mark Baisley of Woodland Park, and Teller County Sheriff Jason Mikesell. For Kirkmeyer, the race will test whether her bipartisan credentials and experience can overcome long standing Democratic momentum. Her decades of service and recognition across local and state government could resonate with voters seeking a moderate alternative, but she faces an uphill climb in a state where Democratic candidates have held the governor’s office for more than twenty years.