State Sen. Barb Kirkmeyer files to run for governor

Colorado State Sen. Barb Kirkmeyer is expected to announce a run for governor on Tuesday after filing for candidacy Monday.

On Monday morning, Kirkmeyer’s campaign issued a media advisory about the “special announcement” to be made at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday in Fort Lupton. The event is RSVP only.

By Monday afternoon, state campaign filings showed she has officially filed to enter the race.

Last month, the Colorado Times Recorder reported four recently registered websites, which are all versions of “kirkmeyerforgovernor.”

Kirkmeyer’s previous campaign website, kirkmeyerforcolorado.com, was recently password protected. A look at the site’s source code, however, revealed an image showing “Kirkmeyer for Governor” with the same design elements as a logo saying “Kirkmeyer Colorado” shared with Monday’s announcement.

Kirkmeyer’s press team had no comment regarding the subject of the special announcement.

As a member of the Republican Party, Kirkmeyer has been involved in politics since 1993 and served as a Weld County commissioner until 2001, when she served as the acting executive director of the Department of Local Affairs. Kirkmeyer also served as a Weld County commissioner from 2008 to 2020, before she was elected to the State Senate to represent District 23, which encompasses Weld and Larimer counties. She was reelected to her current seat in 2024.

During her time as a Weld County commissioner, Kirkmeyer received the Commissioner of the Year award in 1993 and 2019 from Colorado Counties, Inc.

As a state senator, she serves on the Appropriations and Joint Budget committees, both of which are responsible for dealing with state fiscal matters. The Joint Budget Committee examines the financial needs of various state departments, and the Appropriations Committee determines how those needs will impact the state’s revenue.