State Debate | Stapleton, Polis, other statewide candidates clash at CoPo-Gazette event
The Gazette, Colorado Politics and KOAA News5 hosted Colorado’s Republican and Democratic candidates for governor, attorney general, secretary of state and state treasurer – all in one place and for the first time in Colorado Springs – on Saturday night.
KOAA News5 anchor Rob Quirk moderated the debates, and Elizabeth Watts, a KOAA News5 anchor, and Joey Bunch, the senior political reporter for Colorado Politics, posed questions.
During the first part of the debate, candidates for attorney general, secretary of state and state treasurer debated each other for more than an hour at the Garden Pavilion at the Penrose House Conference Center.
READ MORE HERE: Candidates for state offices tout experience in group debate in Colorado Springs
Their group debate preceded a one-on-one between the two major party candidates running for governor.
During the second half of The State Debate, Republican Walker Stapleton, the two-term state treasurer, and Democrat Jared Polis, a five-term congressman, sparred over health care, transportation funding and energy policy, among other topics.
READ MORE HERE: Gubernatorial candidates spar in Colorado Springs debate over visions for the state
Watch the full debate, recorded live, here.
Meet the candidates. For governor
For attorney general
For secretary of state
For state treasurer
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marianne.goodland@coloradopolitics.com
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marissa.ventrelli@coloradopolitics.com
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Updated 18 hours ago
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Colorado attorney general invites public to report ICE ‘misconduct’
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marissa.ventrelli@coloradopolitics.com
Updated 13 hours ago
Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser has launched a new online mechanism that allows Colorado residents to report “misconduct” by federal immigration agents, his office announced on Wednesday. “Nobody is above the rule of law, including federal agents such as ICE...
Colorado Democrat John Hickenlooper raises over $1.1 million in 4th quarter for reelection bid
Ernest Luning
ernest.luning@coloradopolitics.com
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U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper’s reelection campaign raised over $1.1 million in the fourth quarter of 2025 and finished the year with more than $3.8 million in the bank, the Colorado Democrat’s campaign said Thursday. The fundraising haul brings Hickenlooper’s total...
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Candidates for state offices tout experience in group debate in Colorado Springs
COLORADO SPRINGS – Six candidates running against each other for three statewide offices in the Nov. 6 election touted their experience during a group debate Saturday evening in Colorado Springs hosted by The Gazette, Colorado Politics and TV station KOAA News5. For more than an hour, candidates for attorney general, secretary of state and state […]
The Colorado Springs Gazette: 2018 candidate endorsements
Governor’s raceWalker Stapleton (R) Jared Polis (D) Colorado voters have a unique opportunity to elect as governor a man with a proven, indisputable record of good results. During two terms as state treasurer, Walker Stapleton has stood up for hard-working Coloradans. His work benefits middle-class families and the working poor. In defending average Coloradans, Stapleton […]