Jared Polis, Colorado’s governor, is an unusual breed: a libertarian Democrat

IF COLORADO WERE a piece of jewellery it would be a mood ring, changing with the country’s political temperature. Or at least that used to be the case. Today Colorado looks more like a sapphire, featuring varying shades of blue depending on one’s angle. After the 2018 election it became a Democratic trifecta, with the party controlling the governor’s office, statehouse and senate. One of the state’s two senators, Cory Gardner, is a Republican, but he has a low approval rating and may not win re-election in 2020. Last autumn’s election was the most significant for Colorado’s political realignment in more than 40 years, says Floyd Ciruli of Ciruli Associates, a political consulting firm.