Voters on Tuesday handed the reins of Colorado’s government to Jared Polis, the five-term congressman from Boulder whose pledges on an array of issues promised a leftward shift for a state that long had reveled in its middle-ground status.

In calling for Colorado to head in a more progressive direction, Polis prevailed over Republican Walker Stapleton — the two-term state treasurer who spent much of the campaign pleading with voters to put the brakes on Polis’ agenda. At 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, Polis was leading nearly 52 percent to 45 percent, with an estimated 84 percent of the vote counted. (Update: As of Nov. 13, Polis was leading by more than 10 percentage points.)

Polis, 43, makes history both as Colorado’s first Jewish governor and the first openly gay man elected to lead any U.S. state.

RELATED STORY Colorado just elected Jared Polis the nation’s first openly gay governor

Though Polis’ longtime partner, Marlon Reis, has been press-shy during much of the campaign, he and their two children joined Polis on stage Tuesday night as the governor-elect gave his victory speech in downtown Denver. He thanked voters for proving Colorado is inclusive.

“Tonight we reaffirm what an amazing state we live in,” Polis said at the Westin Denver Downtown hotel, where the state Democrats gathered. “In Colorado, we dare, we dream and we do. Whether it’s embracing big ideas or hiking our amazing mountains, we don’t back down when something is challenging. We see problems as opportunities in our state of Colorado.”

He then pledged to unify the state after a rough campaign.

“Tonight is the beginning of this incredible journey,” he said. “Tonight we celebrate, and tomorrow we roll up our sleeves and get ready to work with Republicans, independents, Democrats and all Coloradans of good will. … We have work to do to turn a bold vision into reality.”

Colorado voters on Tuesday spoke loudly for Democrats: They ousted U.S. Rep. Mike Coffman, a Republican who’d survived prior challenges from Democrats, by electing Jason Crow in suburban Denver’s 6th Congressional District. Democrats also appeared likely to sweep the races for secretary of state, treasurer and attorney general.

Colorado Election Results

But Proposition 112, which had been poised to drastically expand oil and gas drilling setbacks around homes, schools and water sources, appeared headed for defeat. And an income tax hike for education as well as two transportation funding measures lost decisively.

As election results continued to roll in, Democrats were heading for a takeover of the state Senate majority from Republicans, and Democrats also were likely to retain their majority in the House.

The outcome of the ballot issues and legislative races will help define Polis’ first term in office. In particular, he will need allies to identify new and existing revenue sources to pay for the state’s roads and schools — not to mention many of his audacious promises.

Polis, a tech entrepreneur, rode a wave of Democratic enthusiasm, a surge that had been predicted in part as a reaction to President Donald Trump.

Lenn Hodson, a 48-year-old contractor from Englewood who cast his ballot Tuesday at the Englewood Civic Center, said the Trump administration has turned politics into a sideshow that needs to be balanced. That’s why he voted for Polis and other Democratic candidates.

“I’m just going straight Democrat because I can’t stand what’s going on,” he said.

“Time for us to come together”

His major opponent, Stapleton, 44, is a businessman and real estate investor who lives in Greenwood Village. He first won election as the state’s treasurer in 2010.

Stapleton told supporters in his concession speech that it’s “time for us to come together as Coloradans.”

“I will keep fighting and serving our great state because we must have better roads and infrastructure,” he told a Republican gathering at the Denver Marriott South hotel in Lone Tree. “We must protect our energy industry and the jobs that it brings. We must have better schools and we must have better health care. And we must have affordable housing for all Coloradans.”

Two other candidates also were on the ballot: Libertarian Scott Helker received 2.4 percent and Unity Party candidate Bill Hammons was at 1 percent.

The Centennial State is poised to enter a new political era — that is, if Polis can work with state lawmakers to make his ambitious plans a reality.

In January, he will succeed outgoing term-limited Gov. John Hickenlooper, a moderate Democrat whose final four years were defined by split-government compromises.

The Polis victory moves Colorado one step closer to becoming a reliable Democratic state, said Ian Silverii, executive director of Progress Now Colorado, a progressive political nonprofit.

“Colorado has thrown off its purple reputation and is now heading toward blue-state status,” he said. “It’s clear that Polis’ bold vision is what Coloradans are looking for, especially considering the dangerous policies that are coming out of Washington.”

From tech world to governor’s office

During the campaign, Polis drew on his own success in the tech world to argue that Colorado should dream big. His family profited to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars when they sold Blue Mountain Arts, the online version of his parents’ greeting card company, in 1999, and Polis has increased his wealth off other successful startups.

He campaigned on promises of drastically expanding funding for early childhood education, increasing access to health care while lowering costs — with an eventual goal of a universal or even single-payer system — and setting an ambitious statewide goal of powering the energy grid with 100 percent renewable sources by 2040. He has maintained his support for more fracking restrictions, along with more local control, though he opposed Proposition 112.

Polis, who launched his campaign in Pueblo and opened his first field office in Grand Junction, showed up everywhere sporting brightly colored sneakers. He says he buys the I-Runner shoes online to save money, and he has gone through four pairs since announcing his candidacy last year.

The race to succeed Hickenlooper was defined, on both sides, by Polis and his far-reaching plans.

During the debates, Stapleton used much of his time to tear into Polis’ agenda as unaffordable for state government and its taxpayers. He frequently characterized Polis as “radical and extreme,” using rhetoric that often overshadowed Stapleton’s own plans.

But Polis fired back. And he drew on nearly $23 million in self-funding during the primary and general elections, a giant boost that helped him vanquish several Democratic rivals before he trained his target on Stapleton.

That spending drew complaints from Stapleton and other critics to the end.

“Polis bought the election,” said Kelly Maher, the executive director of Compass Colorado, a conservative political group. “Trying to overcome that much money (and) that much organization in this political climate, Stapleton’s campaign was about as good as you get.”

She also attributed Stapleton’s loss to Trump’s low approval ratings and stronger organization by the Democrats.

Polis led consistently in public polling, with leads of 5 percentage points and 8 percentage points in the final two surveys last week. But Stapleton and his Republican allies didn’t hold back, hoping that election turnout would prove the polls wrong.

Staff writers Anna Staver and Ben Botkin contributed to this story.

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