The 2014 Colorado gubernatorial election was held on November 4, 2014, to elect the governor and lieutenant governor of Colorado, concurrently with the election to Colorado's Class II U.S. Senate seat, as well as other elections to the United States Senate in other states and elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections.
Incumbent Democratic Governor John Hickenlooper and Lieutenant Governor Joseph Garcia were elected to a second term in office, narrowly defeating Republican former U.S. representative Bob Beauprez and his running mate, Douglas County Commissioner Jill Repella, by 68,000 votes.
Democratic primary
John Hickenlooper was the only Democrat to file to run, and thus at the Democratic state assembly on April 12, 2014, he was renominated unopposed.
Candidates
Nominee
- John Hickenlooper, incumbent governor
Republican primary
At the Republican state assembly on April 12, 2014, Mike Kopp and Scott Gessler received 34% and 33% of the votes of over 3,900 delegates, respectively, thus winning a place on the ballot. Greg Brophy, Steve House and Roni Bell Sylvester received 19%, 13% and 2%, respectively, falling short of the 30% needed to qualify for the ballot. Bob Beauprez and Tom Tancredo did not contest the assembly vote, instead petitioning their way onto the ballot.
Candidates
Declared
- Bob Beauprez, former U.S. representative and nominee for governor in 2006
- Scott Gessler, Secretary of State of Colorado
- Mike Kopp, former Minority Leader of the Colorado Senate
- Running mate: Vera Ortegon, biologist and former Pueblo City Councillor
- Tom Tancredo, former U.S. representative and Constitution Party nominee for governor in 2010
Eliminated at convention
- Greg Brophy, state senator
- Steve House, healthcare consultant and Chairman of the Adams County Republican Party
- Roni Bell Sylvester, rancher
Withdrew
- Jason Clark, money manager and independent candidate for governor in 2010
- Steve Laffey, former mayor of Cranston, Rhode Island and candidate for the U.S. Senate from Rhode Island in 2006 (running for CO-04)
Declined
- George Brauchler, Arapahoe County District Attorney
- Dan Caplis, radio host
- Cory Gardner, U.S. representative (running for the U.S. Senate)
- Jennifer George, attorney
- Cheri Gerou, state representative
- Victor Mitchell, former state representative
- Ellen Roberts, state senator
- Bob Schaffer, former U.S. representative, candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2004 and nominee for the U.S. Senate in 2008
- Lang Sias, former Navy fighter pilot (running for the State Senate)
- Walker Stapleton, Colorado State Treasurer (running for re-election)
- John Suthers, Colorado Attorney General
Endorsements
Bob Beauprez
- Wayne Allard, former U.S. senator
- Greg Brophy, state senator
- Pete Coors, Chairman of the Molson Coors Brewing Company, Chairman of MillerCoors, and nominee for U.S. Senate in 2004
- Bob Greenlee, former mayor of Boulder
- Steve House, healthcare consultant and Chairman of the Adams County Republican Party
- Gale Norton, former Colorado Attorney General and former United States Secretary of the Interior
- Bill Owens, former governor of Colorado
- Rick Perry, Governor of Texas
- Mitt Romney, former governor of Massachusetts
- John Suthers, Colorado Attorney General
Scott Gessler
- Ken Bennett, Secretary of State of Arizona
- Eli Bremer, former chairman of the El Paso Republican Party
- Lois Landgraf, state representative
- Mark Martin, Secretary of State of Arkansas
- Ray Martinez, former mayor of Fort Collins
- Clarice Navarro, state representative
- Marcia Neal, member of the Colorado State Board of Education
- Brian Norton, Rio Grande County Sheriff
- George Rivera, state senator
- Bill Roy, former executive director of the El Paso Republican Party
- Bob Schaffer, former U.S. representative
- Lola Spradley, former speaker of the Colorado House of Representatives
- Sam Susuras, Mayor of Grand Junction
- Lou Vallario, Garfield County Sheriff
- Dave Williams, former chairman of the Chaffee County Republican Committee
- Kim Wyman, Secretary of State of Washington
Mike Kopp
- William L. Armstrong, former U.S. senator
- Hank Brown, former U.S. senator
- Jane Norton, former lieutenant governor of Colorado and candidate for U.S. Senate in 2010
- Janet Rowland, former Mesa County Commissioner and nominee for Lieutenant Governor of Colorado in 2006
Tom Tancredo
- Joe Arpaio, Maricopa County Sheriff
- Michelle Malkin, conservative commentator
- Ted Nugent, musician and gun rights activist
Polling
- * Poll for the Bob Beauprez campaign
Libertarian primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Matthew Hess, IT systems administrator
Green primary
Candidates
- Harry Hempy, software engineer and progressive activist
Unsuccessful
- Bill Bartlett, co-chair of the Green Party of Colorado
Independents
Candidates
Declared
- Mike Dunafon, Mayor of Glendale
- Paul N. Fiorino, performing arts teacher and perennial candidate
Withdrew
- Jim Rundberg, businessman
General election
Candidates
- Bob Beauprez (R), former U.S. representative and nominee for governor in 2006
- Running mate: Jill Repella, Douglas County Commissioner
- Mike Dunafon (I), Mayor of Glendale
- Running mate: Robin Roberts, president of Pikes Peak National Bank
- Paul Fiorino (I), performing arts teacher, former director of the Pueblo Ballet and Independent candidate for governor in 2006 and 2010
- Running mate: Charles Whitley, retired military, arts advocate and publisher
- Marcus Giavanni (write-in), internet developer, entrepreneur, musician
- Running mate: Joshua Yballa
- Matthew Hess (L), IT systems administrator
- Running mate: Brandon Young, photographer, graphic designer and political activist
- Harry Hempy (G), software engineer and progressive activist
- Running mate: Scott Olson
- John Hickenlooper (D), incumbent governor
- Running mate: Joseph Garcia, incumbent lieutenant governor
Debates
- Complete video of debate, September 30, 2014 - C-SPAN
- Complete video of debate, October 6, 2014 - C-SPAN
- Complete video of debate, October 24, 2014 - C-SPAN
Results
Throughout the night, the race was very close. With 90% of the vote in, Beauprez was about 3,000 votes ahead. The Democrats were holding out hope that Jefferson County would edge them out. When 96% of the vote had reported, Hickenlooper prevailed. Beauprez conceded defeat at 5:48 am on the morning of November 6.
Results by county
Despite losing the state, Beauprez won 39 of 64 counties.
Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican
- Archuleta (largest city: Pagosa Springs)
- Bent (largest city: Las Animas)
- Chaffee (largest city: Salida)
- Crowley (largest city: Ordway)
- Garfield (largest municipality: Glenwood Springs)
- Grand (largest city: Granby)
- Hinsdale (largest city: Lake City)
- Jackson (largest city: Walden)
- Las Animas (largest city: Trinidad)
- Mineral (largest city: Creede)
- Otero (largest city: La Junta)
- Rio Grande (largest city: Monte Vista)
- Sedgwick (largest city: Julesburg)
Counties that flipped from Constitution to Republican
- Baca (largest city: Springfield)
- Cheyenne (largest city: Cheyenne Wells)
- Custer (largest city: Silver Cliff)
- Delta (largest city: Delta)
- Douglas (largest city: Highlands Ranch)
- Elbert (largest city: Elizabeth)
- El Paso (largest city: Colorado Springs)
- Fremont (largest city: Canon City)
- Kiowa (largest city: Eads)
- Kit Carson (largest city: Burlington)
- Lincoln (largest city: Limon)
- Logan (largest city: Sterling)
- Mesa (largest city: Grand Junction)
- Moffat (largest city: Craig)
- Montrose (largest city: Montrose)
- Morgan (largest city: Fort Morgan)
- Park (largest city: Fairplay)
- Phillips (largest city: Holyoke)
- Prowers (largest city: Lamar)
- Rio Blanco (largest city: Meeker)
- Teller (largest city: Woodland Park)
- Washington (largest city: Akron)
- Weld (largest city: Greeley)
- Yuma (largest city: Yuma)
By congressional district
Hickenlooper won four of seven congressional districts, including one held by a Republican.