Colorado voters elected Jared Polis on Tuesday, making him the first openly gay man elected governor in the United States, NBC and ABC reported.
The five-term congressman defeated Republican state Treasurer Walker Stapleton, a second cousin of President George W. Bush.
Polis, 43, is a member of the center-left New Democrat Coalition, supporting single-payer health care and marijuana decriminalization. In 2017, he launched the Cannabis Caucus in Congress.
Earlier in the year, Polis talked about the historic nature of his candidacy and said his victory would give Colorado “an opportunity to stick a thumb in the eye of Mike Pence, whose view of America is not as inclusive as where America is today.”
Beyond his landmark victory as a gay man, securing the governorship in Colorado puts a damper on Republicans’ hopes of turning the key swing state red in the 2020 presidential election.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.