With Governor Jared Polis term-limited and entering his final year in office, Colorado’s 2026 gubernatorial race is already accelerating. What began as a quiet pre-season has quickly turned into a high-stakes contest drawing in the state’s most recognizable political figures — and some of its most polarizing outsiders.

The Democratic primary is now a two-way contest between U.S. Senator Michael Bennet and Attorney General Phil Weiser, setting up one of the party’s most consequential intrastate matchups in years. Weiser entered the race earlier in 2025, emphasizing institutional stability and a return to “serious governing.” In comments reported by Colorado Politics, he said voters deserve “candidates committed to governing, not hurling threats and insults.”

Bennet’s April announcement reshaped the field overnight. Backed by Governor Polis and Senator John Hickenlooper, Bennet brings a national profile and a well-funded operation that instantly made him the frontrunner. His entry gives Democratic voters a choice between a long-serving federal lawmaker and the state’s top legal officer.

The Republican primary is even more crowded. As of September, 34 candidates had filed paperwork to run for governor, according to Westword’s review of Secretary of State records. The latest entrant — conservative podcaster Joe Oltmann — announced his campaign during a December 26 livestream. Oltmann, known for his confrontational rhetoric and repeated challenges to Colorado’s election systems, outlined a platform that includes eliminating property taxes, banning mail-in ballots, and pardoning former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters.

He joins a field that already includes State Senator Barbara Kirkmeyer, who launched her campaign in September, and former U.S. Representative Greg Lopez. With no clear frontrunner and a wide ideological spread, the GOP contest is expected to remain volatile well into 2026.

While personalities dominate early headlines, several statewide challenges are poised to shape the debate. Water security remains a top concern as the Colorado River system approaches critical thresholds. Housing affordability continues to strain families across the state, prompting a range of tax, zoning, and climate-policy proposals. Rising fentanyl-related deaths and concerns about crime in the Denver metro area are central themes in Republican messaging.

The filing deadline for the 2026 governor’s race is March 18, 2026, followed by the statewide primary on June 30. With more than a year to go, the contours of the race are still shifting — but the stakes are already clear. Whether Colorado extends its decade-long Democratic streak or turns toward a new brand of Republican populism will be one of the defining political stories of the coming year.