Governor Jared Polis and Lieutenant Governor Dianne Primavera were inaugurated on Tuesday on the steps of the Colorado statehouse for their administration’s second term. The sun was shining and banners above the podium read “Colorado for All,” a theme Polis reiterated in his inaugural address.
“To realize the full potential of our great state,” he said in his speech. “We must make sure we take the very best ideas wherever they come from - from the left, from the right, from the center, from up, from down - to move our state forward.”
Polis said the clear mandate from voters is for unity and practical solutions. He also touted his administration’s first-term accomplishments, and said he will continue the work he started, with a focus on lowering Colorado’s cost of living.
“We’re going to keep using every tool we have to help save Coloradans money,” he said. “That means lower taxes, lower transportation costs, lower medical bills, lower business fees and of course lower housing costs.”
He also prioritized the state’s natural resources and public land, and said he will work towards 100% renewable energy in Colorado by 2040.
In her speech, Lieutenant Gov. Primavera also referenced the administration’s first term accomplishments, but she also said they will continue to work on expanding healthcare access.
“Our administration has worked every day to lower drug costs, transform our behavioral healthcare system and make affordable, high quality care more accessible across our state,” Primavera said. “We all know the job isn’t done yet, not when it comes to healthcare and not when it comes to lowering costs so every Colorado family can thrive.”
Secretary of State Jena Griswold, Treasurer Dave Young, and Attorney General Phil Weiser were also sworn in at the inauguration ceremony. Current and former elected officials were in attendance, including US Senators Michael Bennett and John Hickenlooper.
Leaders of Colorado’s two Native American tribes, the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe and the Southern Ute Tribe, also attended and performed a traditional Ute blessing. The ceremony also included an invocation from Reverend James D. Peters and a benediction from Rabbi Tirzah Firestone.
Other speakers included Polis’ mother, Susan Polis Schutz, who read one of her poems. There were also musical performances by the C2 Mass Choir, the Denver Gay Men’s Chorus, the Out Loud Colorado Springs Men’s Chorus, and 101st Army Band. The event was also marked by a flyover by F-16 fighter jets from the Colorado Air National Guard and 38 blank rounds fired from a cannon to mark Colorado as the 38th state .
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