Governor of Colorado

The Governor of Colorado is the chief executive of the U.S. state of Colorado. The governor is the head of the executive branch of Colorado's state government.

The governor is charged with enforcing state laws. The governor has the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Colorado General Assembly and to grant pardons, except in cases of treason or impeachment.CO Const. art IV The governor is also the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces.

The current governor is Democrat Jared Polis, who took office on January 8, 2019.

List of governors
+ Governors of the State of ColoradoGovernorTerm in officePartyElectionLt. Governor175px John Long Routt–January 14, 1879(not candidate for election)Republican1876 Lafayette Head275pxFrederick Walker Pitkin–January 9, 1883(not candidate for election)Republican1878Horace Tabor1880375pxJames Benton Grant–January 13, 1885(not candidate for election)Democratic1882William H. Meyer475pxBenjamin Harrison Eaton–January 11, 1887(not candidate for election)Republican1884Peter W. Breene575pxAlva Adams–January 8, 1889(not candidate for election)Democratic1886Norman H. Meldrum675pxJob Adams Cooper–January 13, 1891(not candidate for election)Republican1888William Grover Smith775pxJohn Long Routt–January 10, 1893(not candidate for election)Republican1890William Story875pxDavis Hanson Waite–January 8, 1895(lost election)Populist1892David H. Nichols975pxAlbert McIntire–January 12, 1897(not candidate for election)Republican1894Jared L. Brush1075pxAlva Adams–January 10, 1899(not candidate for election)Democratic18961175pxCharles S. Thomas–January 8, 1901(not candidate for election)Democratic1898Francis Patrick Carney1275pxJames Bradley Orman–January 13, 1903(not candidate for election)Democratic1900David C. Coates1375pxJames Hamilton Peabody–January 10, 1905(lost election)Republican1902Warren A. Haggott1475pxAlva Adams–March 16, 1905(declared loser in election)Democratic1904Arthur Cornforth1575pxJames Hamilton Peabody–March 17, 1905(resigned)RepublicanJesse Fuller McDonald1675pxJesse Fuller McDonald–January 8, 1907(did not run for election)RepublicanSucceeded fromLieutenantGovernorArthur Cornforth(removed July 5, 1905)Fred W. Parks1775pxHenry Augustus Buchtel–January 12, 1909(not candidate for election)Republican1906Erastus Harper1875pxJohn F. Shafroth–January 14, 1913(not candidate for election)Democratic1908Stephen R. Fitzgarrald19101975pxElias M. Ammons–January 12, 1915(not candidate for election)Democratic19122075pxGeorge Alfred Carlson–January 9, 1917(lost election)Republican1914Moses E. Lewis2175pxJulius Caldeen Gunter–January 14, 1919(not candidate for election)Democratic1916James Pulliam2275pxOliver Henry Shoup–January 9, 1923(not candidate for election)Republican1918George Stephan1920Earl Cooley2375pxWilliam Ellery Sweet–January 13, 1925(lost election)Democratic1922Robert F. Rockwell24Clarence Morley–January 11, 1927(not candidate for election)Republican1924Sterling Byrd Lacy25Billy Adams–January 10, 1933(not candidate for election)Democratic1926George Milton Corlett19281930Edwin C. Johnson2675pxEdwin C. Johnson–January 1, 1937(resigned)Democratic1932Ray Herbert Talbot193427Ray Herbert Talbot–January 12, 1937(successor took office)DemocraticSucceeded fromLieutenantGovernorVacant28Teller Ammons–January 10, 1939(lost election)Democratic1936Frank Hayes2975pxRalph Lawrence Carr–January 12, 1943(not candidate for election)Republican1938John Charles Vivian194030John Charles Vivian–January 14, 1947(not candidate for election)Republican1942William Eugene Higby19443175pxWilliam Lee Knous–April 15, 1950(resigned)Democratic1946Homer L. Pearson1948Walter Walford Johnson32Walter Walford Johnson–January 9, 1951(lost election)DemocraticSucceeded fromLieutenantGovernorCharles P. Murphy33Daniel I. J. Thornton–January 11, 1955(not candidate for election)Republican1950Gordon Allott19523475pxEdwin C. Johnson–January 8, 1957(not candidate for election)Democratic1954Stephen McNichols3575pxStephen McNichols–January 8, 1963(lost election)Democratic1956Frank L. Hays1958Robert Lee Knous36John Arthur Love–July 16, 1973(resigned)Republican19621966Mark Anthony Hogan1970John D. Vanderhoof37John D. Vanderhoof–January 14, 1975(lost election)RepublicanSucceeded fromLieutenantGovernorTed L. Strickland3875pxRichard Lamm–January 13, 1987(not candidate for election)Democratic1974George L. Brown1978Nancy E. Dick198239Roy Romer–January 12, 1999(term limited)Democratic1986Mike Callihan(resigned May 10, 1994)1990VacantSamuel H. Cassidy(took office May 11, 1994)1994Gail Schoettler4075pxBill Owens–January 9, 2007(term limited)Republican1998Joe Rogers2002Jane E. Norton4175pxBill Ritter–January 11, 2011(not candidate for election)Democratic2006Barbara O'Brien4275pxJohn Hickenlooper–January 8, 2019(term limited)Democratic2010Joseph García(resigned May 12, 2016)2014Donna Lynne4375pxJared Polis–presentDemocratic2018Dianne Primavera

 Living former Governors of Colorado 
As of February 2026, there are four living former Governors of Colorado, the oldest being Roy Romer, who served as the 39th Governor of Colorado (served 1987-1999), at 97. The most recent death of a former governor was that of Richard Lamm, who served as the 43rd Governor of Colorado (served 1975-1987) on July 29, 2021.

Notes

References

*