DENVER – Democrat Jared Polis will be inaugurated as Colorado’s 43rd governor Tuesday morning, replacing term-limited Gov. John Hickenlooper.
The ceremony will happen at 11 a.m. on the west steps of the Colorado state capitol building. KOAA News 5 will stream the event on koaa.com and on the KOAA 5 Facebook page.
Polis, who defeated Republican challenger Walker Stapleton by a wide margin, ran on a platform to bring sweeping changes to the Centennial state.
Best of luck Gov. Polis pic.twitter.com/0AKY7WDVlB
— Walker Stapleton (@WalkerStapleton) January 8, 2019
Polis, who previously served as a five-term U.S. Representative from Boulder, promised voters he would work to drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions, bring state-funded early childhood education to Colorado and reduce health care costs.
He is expected to have the backing of both chambers of the state legislature, which are both controlled by Democrats following November’s election.
Polis was the first openly gay governor in U.S. history, and he is the first Jewish governor in Colorado history. His inauguration is expected to be celebrated by LGBTQ advocates nationwide.
Hickenlooper exits office amid talk of a potential 2020 presidential run. The Democrat served as Denver mayor from 2003 to 2011 before serving another eight years as governor.
If you’re planning on traveling in downtown Denver Tuesday, several major streets will be closed in the area.
Following the swearing-in ceremony, Polis will attend the inaugural “blue sneaker ball” at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science around 6:30 p.m. Cyndi Lauper, as well as Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats, will perform at the event.
The event is named after Polis’ habit of wearing blue tennis shoes while in office.
