Human Rights Campaign Interim President Joni Madison released the following statement:

“Governor Polis has a long history of being a strong leader for Colorado and the LGBTQ+ community. He made history as the first openly gay man elected governor in the United States in 2018 and has worked to advance the rights of LGBTQ+ Coloradans throughout his governorship. His passion and dedication in the fight for equality is exemplified not only in his hard work, but also through his numerous legislative victories that protect and empower the LGBTQ+ community in Colorado. His experience, his track record and his commitment to LGBTQ+ equality make us very proud to endorse Gov. Polis for reelection– we’ll work hard to ensure that all Coloradans can continue to benefit from his exemplary leadership.”

Governor Jared Polis released the following statement:

“The Human Rights Campaign is helping to lead our country to a stronger future where all people are treated equally. I am honored to receive their endorsement. As the nation’s first openly gay Governor, I know that representation matters, and so does fighting hard for an inclusive home with abundant opportunities where all Coloradans thrive. I am committed to ensuring that LGBTQ+ Coloradans can live openly and with dignity in every aspect of life. As we work hard to earn the support of voters this year, I am grateful to have HRC in my corner."

A Long History of Advocacy

Governor Polis’ time serving as a congressman bolstered his reputation as a leader in the fight for equality. During his time representing Colorado’s 2nd Congressional district, Gov. Polis was a lead co-sponsor of the Equality Act – a bill that will protect LGBTQ+ individuals from discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation and gender identity. He earned top scores on HRC’s Congressional Scorecard during his time in the U.S. House and helped launch the Congressional LGBTQ Equality Caucus and its Transgender Equality Task Force to advance the rights of the LGBTQ+ community.

Following an endorsement from the HRC and a successful election campaign in 2018, Jared Polis made history as the first openly gay man to be elected as a Governor in the U.S. As Governor of Colorado, Polis has worked to fulfil his campaign promise to support the LGBTQ+ community through targeted legislation including enacting Jude’s law – a bill making it easier for transgender residents to change their gender markers on birth certificates and drivers licenses – and a statewide conversion therapy ban for minors.

HRC’s Commitment to Colorado

Colorado’s 1.6 million Equality Voters recognize the importance of electing politicians who make real commitments and efforts to advancing LGBTQ+ rights in their communities. HRC helps inform these voters on candidates by keeping them up to date on political, legislative and LGBTQ+ related news found here.

HRC works every day to elect pro-equality leaders who support policies that will support the rights and lives of LGBTQ+ people. During the 2020 election cycle, HRC staff on the ground recruited 5,800 individual volunteers nationwide who completed 28,500 hours of voter contact in more than 2,650 volunteer events. HRC engaged in robust digital and online GOTV efforts, including sending over 2.7 million person-to-person text messages, a massive increase from 2018 when approximately 500,000 texts were sent. HRC sent over 2.5 million mail pieces, had over 930,000 phone conversations with voters, and engaged more than 200,000 voters through HRC’s voter dashboard at hrc.org/vote.

Paid for by Human Rights Campaign PAC (www.hrc.org) and not authorized by any federal candidate or candidate’s committee.