Map of Colorado Couties via worldatlas.comLooking back at the last quarter century, Colorado has been a growth boom. It added more than1.5 million people and gained two congressional districts while its politics has evolved from a swing state leaning Republican to today firmly in the Democratic camp.
- While Colorado added 1.6 million residents the last 25 years, or a 37 percent increase, its voter registration nearly doubled (66% increase).
- The state was considered competitive between the parties and in 2000, Colorado had a Republican governor, Bill Owens, and two Republican U.S. Senators, Wayne Allard and Ben Nighthorse Campbell (George W. Bush won its electoral votes). Today, Colorado votes strongly Democratic for President (Kamala Harris) and has a Democratic Governor, Jared Polis, and two Democratic Senators, Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper.
- The six congressional seats in 2000 were 4 to 2 Republican and the 8 seats today are evenly balanced; however, the state legislature is strongly Democrat.
- Party registration has shifted from a slight Republican advantage to about half the voters unaffiliated with Republicans in third.
Although the Colorado economy has, since 2000, mostly grown, it followed the various national slowdowns (dot.com bust, great recession, pandemic). The state was on a major growth boom from 2010 to 2020 driven by 700,000 people moving in, mostly young, well educated, anglo. But since the pandemic, Colorado’s population growth slowed dramatically, the economy has cooled, and now local governments are facing tight budgets.
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