Let’s cut to the chase: Colorado Republicans who are serious about retaking the governor’s office next fall will vote for Barb Kirkmeyer in their party’s upcoming primary.

Kirkmeyer is the only Republican running this year who truly can mount a credible challenge in November to either of two well-funded and high-profile Democratic candidates in the race. 

To get to the fall ballot, the veteran state lawmaker, policy whiz, budget hawk — and rock-ribbed, rural Coloradan — will have to slalom a crowded field of GOP contenders. But Republicans should have no illusions; Kirkmeyer is their one hope for a November victory.

Kirkmeyer represents a rare blend of mindset and skillset that checks all the boxes for her party faithful — on law and order; on the Second Amendment; on taxing and spending — while also extending her appeal far beyond party ranks. She bridges that gap with her formidable knowledge and political savvy — impressively delivering victories for core conservative tenets against all odds at a State Capitol dominated by Democrats.

As a watchdog over Colorado’s fiscal affairs on the legislature’s powerful Joint Budget Committee, the Weld County state senator has been a leader exposing budget waste and holding the line against reckless, runaway spending. Kirkmeyer has stood up for the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights against repeated attempts by ruling Democrats to sabotage the voter-enacted constitutional amendment’s taxing and spending limits.

In other words, she’s a diehard defender of the Colorado taxpayer.

Case in point: Kirkmeyer led the charge against 2023’s Proposition HH — the phony property tax cut that really was a tax hike, referred to the ballot by legislative Democrats. After voters justifiably trounced it, Kirkmeyer pushed lawmakers in the majority party to approve real property tax relief, protecting homeowners, seniors and small businesses from being taxed out of their homes and shops.

Kirkmeyer is a staunch advocate of law enforcement and public safety in a state urgently in need of leadership in fighting crime. She has fought in the legislature to restore balance after years of anti-police policies, and has fought for funding law enforcement, including through Proposition 130, investing $350 million to fund officer recruitment, training and survivor benefits.

She has stood up against the legislature’s assaults on Coloradans’ constitutional right to defend their homes and families against violence, staring down politicians pushing more gun control. She helped secure more than $1.3 billion in additional funding for Colorado schools, demonstrating Colorado can prioritize its kids while protecting its taxpayers. And she has been a champion of getting back on track to fund our state’s overburdened and deteriorating highways — at a time when the state’s current leadership has lost its way on transportation.

It’s a track record her own party can embrace with enthusiasm. At the same time, it’s the makings of an agenda that will appeal to Coloradans of the state’s vast political middle — the unaffiliated voting bloc that now makes up half of Colorado’s electorate. Without substantial support from those voters, neither Republicans nor Democrats can win office.

Kirkmeyer can bring those voters together with common-sense conservatism that crosses party lines.

The small-business woman, dairy farmer, fourth-generation Coloradan and CU grad wants to do things most Coloradans know make perfect sense — like lock up dangerous criminals, fix crumbling highways, and keep the state budget in check.

It’s a formula for success in electing Colorado’s next governor.

To win back the governor’s office, Republicans must close ranks, speak with a unified voice to the rest of Colorado, and appeal to the many Coloradans who are tired of the Capitol’s lurch to the left. They seek a credible candidate to deliver them — and will find it in Barb Kirkmeyer.