The air is filled with hope, relief, and most importantly triumph for our Colorado families.
This election season required a lot from our community, organizations, leaders, and voters, and as we wrap up the last few counts, we are seeing the results of our labor of love. Our endorsements, were grounded in a vision for a future that prioritizes students, families, and communities furthest from privilege. And this week, Colorado voters delivered some exciting victories:
- Proposition NN has been called as passed. The win was announced Tuesday night, with about 55.3% voting yes at that point. It is expected to generate roughly $330 million for education in its first year, supporting areas including teacher pay, class sizes, and career and technical education.
- After days of ballot counting, Colorado voters passed Amendment 87, choosing to move our state from a flat income tax to a graduated system. Beginning with tax year 2027, Coloradans will pay different rates based on income, with lower rates on the first $100,000 of taxable income and higher rates on taxable income above $500,000. The measure is projected to generate approximately $2 billion in its first full year for public education, health care, and early childhood care and education, while cutting income taxes for an estimated 97% of taxpayers.
- Phil Weiser has been elected Colorado’s 44th governor. He will be inaugurated on January 12, 2027, succeeding term-limited Governor Jared Polis
What happens next?
Now that both Proposition NN and Amendment 87 have passed, the work turns from campaigning to implementation.
With Proposition NN, Colorado will begin directing additional state revenue toward investments in students. That means more resources for priorities like increasing teacher pay, keeping great educators in the classroom, reducing class sizes, expanding career and technical education. The measure is expected to generate about $330 million in its first year, with its impact potentially growing over time.
Amendment 87 will begin changing Colorado’s income tax system in tax year 2027. An estimated 97% of taxpayers will receive a tax cut, while higher rates will apply to portions of taxable income above $500,000. The resulting new revenue must add to, rather than replace, existing investments in K-12 education, health care, and early childhood care and education. The legislature will determine how those additional dollars are allocated among specific programs.
And as Phil Weiser prepares to take office in January, Colorado will have a new administration responsible for helping turn many of the priorities voters supported at the ballot box into action.
But implementation isn’t just the responsibility of elected officials.
It’s ours, too.
We have a responsibility to stay engaged, track where these investments go, hold our leaders accountable, and make sure the communities these victories were meant to support have a voice in what comes next.
This victory belongs to all of us.
Election results can sometimes feel like numbers on a screen. But behind every number is a person who made a choice about what they want Colorado’s future to look like.
Every conversation mattered. Every text mattered. Every door knocked mattered. Every social media post shared mattered. And, of course, every ballot mattered.
These victories show what is possible when Coloradans come together around a shared belief that our kids and families deserve more.
So, yes, let’s celebrate.
Celebrate the organizers who worked tirelessly. Celebrate the advocates who kept showing up. Celebrate the community members who had conversations with friends and family. And celebrate every Colorado voter who made their voice heard.
Then, let’s get back to work.
Because passing Proposition NN and Amendment 87 isn’t the finish line.
It’s an opportunity to build the Colorado our families deserve.
