Barb Kirkmeyer joins a crowded field of Republican candidates for governor. With Gov. Jared Polis being term-limited, Colorado will elect a new leader in 2026.

Kirkmeyer is a Republican leader and current Colorado state Senator representing District 23, which includes parts of Weld and Larimer counties. A fourth-generation Coloradan and longtime resident of Weld County, she previously served nearly two decades as a Weld County commissioner. She held a leadership role in the Colorado Department of Local Affairs under Gov. Bill Owens. Kirkmeyer also won the GOP nomination for Colorado’s 8th Congressional District in 2022. She currently sits on the legislature’s powerful Joint Budget Committee.