Colorado’s Republican governor primary: Barb Kirkmeyer in her own words

By RMV Editorial Board | Rocky Mountain Voice

In five weeks, more than 21,000 petition signatures become a name on a ballot. Barb Kirkmeyer got on that ballot by knocking on doors.

While her two opponents competed for delegate votes at the GOP state assembly, this state senator skipped the convention and submitted 21,342 petition signatures—15,438 of which were validated by the Secretary of State—to qualify for the June 30 primary. In the individualized portion of RMV’s governor primary feature, Kirkmeyer explains why she chose that path and answers questions about her budget vote, TABOR refunds, Tina Peters, abortion and what kind of Republican she is.

The questions below were shaped by reader submissions, public statements and Kirkmeyer’s record in the state Senate. The six questions posed to all three GOP candidates are in the side-by-side comparison. Here are the ones written just for her—and her full responses.

Petition route vs. assembly

You chose the petition route rather than the state assembly. The choice drew criticism from some delegates who interpreted it as an unwillingness to face grassroots Republicans directly. Why did you skip the assembly, and how do you plan to earn the trust of activists who feel overlooked?

I’ve been a precinct captain in Weld County for decades. It has grown increasingly more difficult to get Republicans to show up to caucuses. At the last caucus, only 3 people showed up from my precinct. The GOP State Assembly was missing 17% of its delegates, despite efforts by County Chairs to fill hundreds of vacant slots by appointment – a murky process, by the way, that should be more transparent. I agree that County GOP committee members are important grassroots leaders, and that’s why I’ve attended dozens of Republican Clubs and Lincoln Day dinners across Colorado since I announced last Fall. I believe going the petition route was the right decision and good for our party. The State Assembly comprised about 2,200 Republicans, whereas I turned in over 21,000 signatures. I personally gathered over 800 signatures myself, one of my favorite parts of the campaign so far. Getting more Republicans engaged early on, meeting them at their door, learning firsthand what their concerns are, and listening to them is how we keep them engaged through the general election.

JBC budget vote and Cover All Coloradans

You are the lone Senate Republican on the Joint Budget Committee and co-sponsored the $46.8 billion 2026-27 budget bill. The budget keeps Cover All Coloradans in place while the program is costing significantly more than original projections, and it cuts Medicaid provider rates and dental benefits. How do you defend that vote to Republican primary voters, and what would you have done differently if you had controlled the process?

The reality is that the Budget is not out of balance because of any one program. Even if we eliminated Covering all Coloradans, we would still have been $900 million short. As a member of the minority on the Joint Budget Committee, I have fought successfully to ensure education funding as mandated by our Constitution, to provide additional resources for law enforcement and public safety, and I have fought every day to balance the budget without hurting providers or further jeopardizing access to healthcare in every community in the state.

The Budget isn’t pretty; it’s complicated. But I voted for a balanced budget as required by our Constitution, without raising taxes.

TABOR refunds

Your Joint Budget Committee voted 4-2 to withhold approximately $306 million in TABOR refunds across the 2026-27 and 2027-28 fiscal years, with you and Rep. Rick Taggart voting no. Nonpartisan JBC staff advised in a February memo that treating the funds as an over-refund may not be legal. What legal grounds do you believe the governor’s office has to withhold refunds, and if the legislature passes this structure, what specifically would you do as governor to restore the refunds and prevent future cancellations?

I do not believe the government has the legal grounds to withhold TABOR refunds, which is why I voted no. I’m also leading the opposition to SB 135, the Democrats’ latest effort to gut TABOR and eliminate refunds for the foreseeable future.

As Governor, I will restore the refunds within a supplemental budget amendment, line-item veto any future TABOR refund reductions in the budget, and veto any future legislation that comes forward.

Tina Peters clemency

You have said you would “consider all the facts” before deciding whether to pardon former Mesa County Clerk Tina Peters. Your two primary opponents have both pledged to free her on day one. What facts are you still weighing, and what circumstances would lead you to grant or deny clemency?

I’ve said clemency is on the table if Ms. Peters makes the request. I’m glad to see the legal process continuing, and recently, the presiding judge has been required to review his previous sentencing order. But the conviction itself came from a Mesa County jury of Ms. Peters’ peers, not the judge. As Governor, I will take into consideration the Clemency Board’s recommendation, the sentencing disparity between former Democratic State Senator Jaquez Lewis—who received probation for felony forgery and influencing a public servant—and Ms. Peters, who received nine years in prison for similar charges, and Ms. Peters age and health.

Abortion and reproductive issues

You hold a strong anti-abortion position and have a legislative record on reproductive issues. Democrats have consistently won Colorado elections in part by mobilizing voters on abortion. How do you respond to Democrat attacks on this issue in a general election, and what exceptions, if any, do you support?

I am pro-life, and I have never hidden from that. I believe every life has value. There is one key difference on this issue from my previous races: Abortion access is now enshrined as a right in the Colorado Constitution. A Governor cannot change that.

Democrats want this debate because they do not want to defend their record on affordability, safety, or the cost of government. I’m not going to let them turn this race into a distraction from the failures they own.

Gazette endorsement, ideology and the “Uniparty” label

The Colorado Springs Gazette editorial board endorsed you as the only Republican who can win in November, while MAGA-aligned activists have labeled you a moderate or a “Uniparty” Republican. How do you describe your own ideology, and what does your path to the nomination look like when Victor Marx is raising money at a comparable rate and Scott Bottoms took the top line at assembly?

I’ve heard every label in politics, but the one that matters most to me is winner. I have won tough primaries my entire career by building coalitions, earning votes, and focusing on results instead of slogans. That’s how I’ve served Colorado, and that’s how we win again.

I’m a conservative, but I’m also a practical fighter. I believe in lower taxes, safer communities, protecting our constitutional rights, and making government live within its means. I also believe Republicans have to be serious about governing and serious about winning. If all we do is yell at each other or chase internet applause, we lose.

The reality is my two opponents are too extreme to ever win statewide in Colorado. Neither one has demonstrated anything that would make them electable in a general election. Victor Marx can’t even show up to debates, and somehow thinks the answer to fixing government is growing the Governor’s Office by 300 new state employees. That’s not reform, that’s bigger bureaucracy. Scott Bottoms may win applause at an assembly, but applause at an assembly is not the same thing as winning a statewide race.

My path to the nomination is simple: talk directly to Republican voters across every corner of Colorado who are tired of losing. They want someone who can beat the Democrats, lower costs, restore common sense, and actually govern. I’m the candidate who can unite conservatives, independents, and working families who feel left behind.

Colorado clerks start mailing primary ballots to voters on June 8. Primary election day is June 30.

About this feature: These individualized questions were drawn from resident submissions, each candidate’s record and public statements. For the common questions and how we built this feature, see the side-by-side comparison.