Rep. Jared Polis has won Colorado’s open gubernatorial seat to keep it under Democratic control.
Polis defeated Republican state Treasurer Walker Stapleton on Tuesday to succeed term-limited Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper. Polis will become Colorado’s first openly gay governor.
He campaigned on universal health, renewable energy standards and publicly funded early childhood education. He also vowed to stand up to President Donald Trump’s efforts to dismantle the federal health care law.
Although often a swing state, Colorado has not had a Republican governor since 2007.
