06/02/2026
From CO Politics-
"Colorado governor candidates confront business climate, housing affordability woes
By Marianne Goodland 05/28/2026 | updated 5 days ago
Colorado candidates for governor attending Thursday's forum were Victor Marx, state Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer, U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet and Attorney General Phil Weiser.
Four of the five major-party candidates for Colorado governor share common ground on two big issues: they see the perception that Colorado has become less business‑friendly as a serious concern, and they view housing affordability as central to the state’s economic future.
At a Thursday forum in Glendale, the two Democratic candidates — U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet and Attorney General Phil Weiser — joined two of the three Republicans — state Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer and nonprofit leader Victor Marx— to discuss housing, data centers, land‑use policy, business regulation, and how to balance the state’s energy demands with carbon goals.
The forum — sponsored by 1st Bank/PNC and Land Title Guarantee and hosted by hosted by BOMA Denver, Colorado Concern, Downtown Denver Partnership, NAIOP Colorado and ULI Colorado — drew an audience of several hundred business leaders and was moderated by Colorado Politics Editor Luige del Puerto.
Weiser, in his remarks on business regulation and competitiveness, cited the example of a Colorado company that expanded into Oklahoma. Weiser said the CEO of Durango-based Agile Space Industries found “the wind at his back,” not in his face, when he wanted to expand. Much of that is due to the time it takes to get permits here, while in Oklahoma, it takes days, not months or even a year, as it is in Colorado, he said.
Colorado is also losing population. The state has been there before, when Gov. Roy Romer was in office in the 1980s. Romer, he said, believed in a “how can I help” style of leadership, one that brings people together to solve problems, the Democrat said.
Weiser said he has a “can-do, problem-solving” leadership style that he will bring to the governor’s office.
Kirkmeyer pointed to her 20 years as a county commissioner and the past six in the state Senate, where she serves as the ranking Republican on the Joint Budget Committee that recently finished crafting the state’s $48.8 billion budget. The committee tackled a budget deficit of more than $1 billion in crafting the state government’s spending plan for next year.
It’s important to get the state back on track, Kirkmeyer said, adding that eight years of one-party control have made an unaffordable mess of the state.
“I know where the problems are with state government,” she told the audience. “I know how to govern.”
Governors should ensure the state is open to business on Day One, and Kirkmeyer pledged to bring businesses and people back to Colorado." ...
Four of the five major-party candidates for Colorado governor share common ground on two big issues: they see the perception that Colorado has become less business‑friendly as a serious concern, and they view housing affordability as central to the state’s economic future. At a Thursday forum in...
