Democrat Jared Polis wins Colorado governor’s race

Democratic Rep. Jared Polis will be the new governor of Colorado, after he defeated Republican Walker Stapleton on Tuesday.

{mosads}The five-term congressman, who is the first openly gay man to win a gubernatorial race, pulled away from the Republican state treasurer in recent weeks, despite an onslaught of negative ads directed at him by outside groups. Polis gained the support of major environmental groups after making renewable energy and climate change major points in his campaign.

Stapleton was endorsed by President Trump. Trump lost Colorado in the 2016 presidential election to Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton by a 48-percent-to-43-percent margin.

Polis will replace Democrat John Hickenlooper, who was term-limited. Hickenlooper has long drawn speculation as a potential contender for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, and recently said he was “leaning strongly” towards running.