Colorado’s primary elections are just around the corner. And there’s a lot riding on them — all of the statewide constitutional offices are on the ballot — and thanks to term limits, all of those races are wide open, including Colorado’s top office: governor. The fields include a who’s who of Colorado politics, and one newcomer who may have the potential to shake things up.

CPR’s Bente Birkeland talks with The Colorado Sun’s Jesse Paul and CPR’s Ben Markus about who’s on the Democratic and Republican tickets and the dynamics at play as they vie for votes. The five hopefuls on the ballot are running at a time when both parties are doing a bit of soul searching, and Coloradans on both sides of the aisle seem frustrated with the status quo. 

Catch up on our latest coverage:

• CPR News: 2026 Colorado Primary Election Voter Guide
• CPR News: Bottoms, Kirkmeyer make their cases to primary voters in CPR News gubernatorial candidates debate
• CPR News: Democratic gubernatorial candidates Bennet and Weiser make their pitches to voters in live debate
• The Colorado Sun: A third of Colorado voters have still never heard of Phil Weiser, poll shows
• CPR News: Colorado GOP governor primary pits MAGA candidates against establishment favorite
• The Colorado Sun: Tina Peters isn’t the first Colorado convict to become a central figure in a governor’s race

Purplish is produced by CPR News and the Capitol News Alliance, a collaboration between KUNC News, Colorado Public Radio, Rocky Mountain PBS, and The Colorado Sun, and shared with Rocky Mountain Community Radio and other news organizations across the state. Startup funding for the Alliance was provided, in part, by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

Purplish’s producer is Stephanie Wolf. Sound design and engineering by Shane Rumsey. The theme music is by Brad Turner. Megan Verlee is the executive producer.