Currently holds the office of U.S. Senate - Colorado until January 3, 2029.
Candidate for Colorado Governor in 2026 Colorado Primary Election.
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Get StartedMichael will make Colorado the first state where every high school student can graduate ready to earn a living wage, and with a year of career preparation and college credit. He will accomplish this goal through expansion opportunities for career training and college classes in high schools throughout the state. Learn more
Michael will ensure that Colorado measures every education and workforce program against a clear benchmark: whether participants earn meaningful wage increases and can access quality jobs. Learn more
He will also work with employers, labor, and educators to better integrate education and work to meet critical workforce needs in high-growth sectors such as advanced technologies, health and behavioral health, construction and skilled trades, advanced manufacturing, clean energy, and education and early childhood. Learn more
Michael will bring together employers, labor, education leaders, and communities statewide to build an integrated education-to-workforce system—one that links learning directly to good-paying jobs and keeps up with a rapidly changing economy. Learn more
He will grow teacher-apprenticeship programs across the state, including programs that enable paraprofessionals to earn teacher licensure through their work in schools. Learn more
Michael will also work to eliminate unnecessary red tape in the credentialing process, champion efforts to design a statewide health insurance cooperative for school districts, and use state resources to attract community investment in affordable teacher housing. Learn more
Michael will fight for the funding needed to pay educators a competitive wage and make it easier to become a teacher or early childcare professional, without lowering standards. Learn more
Michael will accelerate the deployment of the Colorado State Longitudinal Data System, giving students, families, and policymakers transparent access to costs, earnings, and Return On Investment data across early childhood, K-12, higher education, apprenticeships, and short-term training programs. Learn more
Michael will give schools more flexibility and funding to try new ways of teaching that prepare students for a fast-changing economy. He’ll support programs that put students in the driver’s seat of new technology—like artificial intelligence—through not only teaching them how to use it responsibly, ethically, and effectively, but to design and influence new technology for the public good. Learn more
Michael will make sure every student has a clear path from the classroom to a good-paying career. He will support programs that teach kids about potential career opportunities starting in 6th grade, and efforts to ensure all students are on track to graduate high school starting in 9th grade. Learn more
Michael will partner with communities and school districts to explore how underused space can become available to communities working to expand child care capacity. Learn more
Ensure Colorado is best positioned to meet our statutory climate targets through 2050, with a clear, enforceable cap on emissions across major economic sectors. Learn more
Allow Colorado’s new program to link to existing carbon markets. Learn more
Provide Colorado businesses with a predictable and reliable, market-based path to comply with emissions reduction requirements in an economically efficient manner that protects communities. Learn more
Provide flexibility to companies to fulfill their responsibility to reach emissions targets, while creating stronger incentives for cleaner operations. Learn more
Invest proceeds to reduce energy costs, develop new clean energy technologies, reduce pollution in the communities most affected, support climate resilience, and expand sustainable purchase programs and incentives to support Colorado businesses as they make their operations cleaner and more efficient, each of which will help meet state climate goals. Learn more
Michael will push for a state law requiring health insurance to count any amount patients pay directly to a health care provider toward their deductible and annual out-of-pocket maximum for a covered, medically necessary service, as long as the amount they pay is less than the average in-network rate for that service. Learn more
He will significantly expand auditing and fraud detection within our Medicaid system, and work to improve state government efficiency and cut out unnecessary bureaucracy. Learn more
Michael will work to strengthen Colorado’s Medicaid system by aligning incentives towards the delivery of the highest quality care to patients at the lowest possible cost. He will work to change payments so that providers are rewarded for the overall value and quality of care they deliver, rather than the number of procedures they perform. Learn more
He will also collaborate closely with health care leaders and local communities to improve state government efficiency, cut out unnecessary bureaucracy, and eliminate waste and fraud. He will work in partnership with leaders across the state to bring Colorado’s eligibility and enrollment system into the 21st century, minimizing the number of people who unnecessarily lose coverage because of bureaucratic obstacles and making it faster, more efficient, and easier for Coloradans to access the care they need. Learn more
He will also work with employers, labor, and educators to meet critical workforce needs in health and behavioral health through working in partnership with communities across the state to expand opportunities for apprenticeships and job experience in health care starting in high school, and to expand training and residency pipelines. Learn more
Michael will fight to lower costs by ensuring the state partners only with pharmacy plan administrators that pass 100 percent of negotiated savings directly to Colorado consumers, and he will prioritize transparency so Coloradans can clearly see where to purchase their prescriptions at the lowest price. Learn more
Michael will work with state health care leaders, advocates, and federal partners to design and launch a new Colorado Public Option for Coloradans who earn too much to qualify for Medicaid but still struggle to afford coverage on the individual marketplace. Learn more
Michael’s administration will work with local partners to develop a digital portal where patients can apply for all available health care public assistance programs, including Hospital Discounted Care, Medicaid, and CHP. The system will automatically route applications to participating hospitals and track status updates in real time. Learn more
Michael will also pursue partnerships with other states to drive down costs, strengthen Colorado’s negotiating power, and guarantee full transparency in rebate flows. In addition, Michael will champion efforts to eliminate spread pricing in the private market by 2027. Learn more
Michael will push for a multi-year, strategic approach to health care reform—one that rewards lasting results rather than temporary fixes. He will start a Patient First Initiative, long-term partnerships with health care providers, insurers, and communities that break down silos, focus on preventive care, integrate technology, and deliver measurable improvements in quality, access, and affordability to patients. Learn more
Michael will make enforcing mental health parity a priority. He will work to close loopholes, strengthen oversight, and hold insurance providers accountable when they fail to provide behavioral health coverage that meets legal requirements. This includes ensuring timely access to providers, reasonable prior authorization requirements, and fair reimbursement for mental health services. Learn more
Michael will allow school districts and county governments to participate in the health plan offered to state employees. Michael will also launch a pilot program to give Coloradans ages 25-35, small businesses (including small family farms) the opportunity to buy into state health coverage. Learn more
Michael will work with primary care providers across the state to support integrated care, so they have the resources and training to provide mental health care and support in their offices. He will also foster the expansion of partnerships that enable primary care providers to access behavioral health and specialty care for their patients remotely without having an in-house provider and create capacity in areas of the state without a sufficient supply of mental health providers. Learn more
Make Land Available for Housing. Michael will work with state agencies, local governments, school districts, and transit agencies to identify and offer land at below-market rate for affordable and workforce housing developments where it is appropriate. Learn more
Create More Options for Affordable Financing. Michael will work to expand the availability of low-cost financing for new housing, necessary infrastructure, and the rehabilitation of affordable housing. Learn more
Promote Efficient Building. Michael will promote efforts to use land more efficiently, use and improve existing infrastructure, speed up construction, and simplify the rules for builders. He will also support communities in efforts to reduce transportation costs for residents through building more homes near where people work and near transportation hubs. Learn more
Create New State Financing Tools. Michael will create new state financing tools, such as state-guaranteed loans and a revolving construction loan fund, to reduce risk and interest costs, and spur private investment in housing for working families and mixed-income communities. Learn more
Expand Support for First-Time Homebuyers: Michael will grow state partnerships with banks, non-profit organizations, employers, and landlords to provide options that bridge the gap between renting and homeownership. Michael will look to improve and expand tools that allow ladders into first-time home ownership, like mortgage assistance, downpayment assistance, tenant equity vehicles, and rent-to-own systems. Learn more
As Governor, Michael will: Drive a Statewide Surge in Home Construction to Build the Homes Coloradans Need. Learn more
Foster Fresh Thinking. Michael will support innovation and optimization of the construction process to increase speed, boost productivity, and lower costs. Learn more
Michael will require the state to adopt a single, common application for all state housing finance entities. This will allow home builders and local governments to apply for state funding and resources through one streamlined process, even when support comes from multiple agencies. Learn more
Expand the Housing Workforce. Michael will work with the private sector, schools, labor unions, and others to grow, accelerate, and tailor local workforce training in construction, trades, and innovative building methods. Learn more
Michael will centralize access to all state housing funding streams in one place so homebuilders and local governments no longer have to shop around to different agencies to build funding stacks. Learn more
Michael believes we must build more housing for people at every stage of life and for every part of Colorado, from young people entering the workforce, to parents raising kids, to seniors looking to downsize. Learn more
Michael is committed to solving this challenge by tackling every aspect of it: building new homes of all types, preserving existing units, reducing red tape, lowering construction costs, and expanding support for first-time homebuyers. As Governor, he will bring together local communities, the private sector, non-profits, philanthropy, and the legislature to meet this urgent, statewide challenge. Learn more
Michael will strengthen state programs, like Proposition 123, by harnessing private investment, bonding, and credit enhancement to unlock additional funding for affordable and attainable housing development. He will also support changes to state programs that are hampering efficiency and limiting usefulness across the state. Learn more
Michael will work with state housing finance entities and local governments to integrate technology that expedites permitting review, simplifies permits, streamlines underwriting for new housing, and improves data collection. Learn more
Colorado needs more homes of all types within reach at every stage of life. Building and selling starter homes, including townhomes, condominiums, duplexes, and other types, expands affordability across the housing market. Learn more
Michael will fight to protect funding for the Colorado Child Care Assistance Program. He will push for the state to have flexibility to comply with federal requirements in the way that best serves Colorado families, and he will work with local governments to ensure that the delivery of state funds is as efficient as possible. Learn more
E will also work with the legislature to pass a Child Care Operations Credit that, when combined with federal tax incentives, will allow small businesses to deduct up to 60 percent of costs associated with establishing and operating a high-quality child care center. Learn more
Michael will work with Colorado lenders to launch a revolving loan fund for Colorado child care providers that will offer low-interest, flexible financing designed specifically for the child-care providers providing affordable care to families. The loans will be coupled with technical assistance to support new child care businesses and help with financial plan development and approval. The fund will include new state financing tools to reduce risk and interest costs for new and successful child care facilities. Learn more
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