2026 in Colorado
The following is a list of events of the year 2026 in Colorado.
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Incumbents
[edit]State Government
[edit]- Governor: Jared Polis (D)
Events
[edit]January
[edit]- January 6 – The Department of Health and Human Services announces it is halting $10 billion in social service programs to Colorado and four other Democratic states.[1]
February
[edit]- February 13 – Four people are killed in a small plane crash near Steamboat Springs.[2]
- February 17 – Five people are killed in a crash involving over 30 vehicles on Interstate 25 south of Pueblo.[3]
March
[edit]- March 16 – About 3,800 workers begin a strike at a Swift Beef Co. plant in Greeley.[4]
- March 27 – Four of the seven law enforcement officers in Costilla County, as well as a former deputy, are indicted by a grand jury in two unrelated cases. The sheriff and a former deputy are charged with mishandling human remains, allegedly taking only some of the remains reported by a citizen and leaving the others behind in October 2024. In a separate case, the undersheriff, a deputy, and a sergeant, who is also the sheriff's son, are charged with assault for allegedly tasing a man who was undergoing a mental health crisis in February 2026.[5]
- March 31 – In Chiles v. Salazar, the Supreme Court rules that a Colorado ban on conversion therapy should be sent back to the lower courts to determine if the ban violates the First Amendment.[6]
April
[edit]- April 2 – An appeals court orders a resentencing for election denier and former county clerk Tina Peters, who in 2024 was sentenced to nine years in prison for seven charges related to election interference in the 2020 presidential election.[7]
- April 11 – The Denver Pioneers beat the Wisconsin Badgers 2–1 to win the 2026 NCAA Division I men's ice hockey tournament. It is their third title in five years.[8]
- April 21 – The La Plata County District Attorney's office charges an ICE officer with assault over a 2025 incident in which he was filmed putting a protester in a chokehold.[9]
May
[edit]- May 5 – The Trump administration sues the city of Denver over its assault weapons ban, which was put in place in 1989.[10]
- May 8 – A Frontier Airlines flight strikes a pedestrian at Denver International Airport during takeoff, causing an engine fire and forcing the plane to evacuate. The pedestrian reportedly hopped a fence two minutes prior to their death.[11]
- May 15 – Governor Polis commutes the sentence of Tina Peters.[12]
- May 20
- The Colorado Supreme Court rules 5–3 that Children's Hospital Colorado (CHC) in Aurora must resume providing gender-affirming care such as puberty blockers and hormone therapy for minor patients after CHC halted such care in December.[13]
- The Colorado Democratic Party censures Jared Polis over his commutation of Tina Peters.[14]
June
[edit]- June 4
- Governor Polis declares a statewide drought emergency.[15]
- An appeals court orders new trials for two paramedics who had been convicted of negligent homicide over the 2020 killing of Elijah McClain in Aurora.[16]
- June 27 – Three firefighters are killed fighting the Snyder Fire in Mesa County.[17]
- June 30 – Melat Kiros, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, defeats U.S. Representative Diana DeGette in the Democratic primary for Colorado’s 1st Congressional District, which encompasses most of Denver.[18]
July
[edit]Predicted and scheduled
[edit]- November 3 – 2026 Colorado gubernatorial election[20]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ↑ Cook, Sara; Quinn, Melissa (January 6, 2026). "Trump administration halting $10 billion in social service funding to 5 Democratic states". CBS News. Retrieved January 6, 2026.
- ↑ "4 dead in small plane crash near Colorado ski resort community of Steamboat Springs". The Associated Press. February 13, 2026. Retrieved February 13, 2026.
- ↑ "4 dead in crashes involving over 30 vehicles in 'brown out' conditions on Colorado interstate". The Associated Press. February 17, 2026. Retrieved February 17, 2026.
- ↑ Peterson, Brittany; Brown, Matthew (March 16, 2026). "3,800 workers are on strike at one of the largest meatpacking plants in the US". The Associated Press. Retrieved March 16, 2026.
- ↑ Slevin, Colleen (March 27, 2026). "Grand jury indicts half the officers in a rural Colorado county in criminal misconduct investigation". The Associated Press. Retrieved March 27, 2026.
- ↑ Howe, Amy (March 31, 2026). "Supreme Court sides with therapist in challenge to Colorado's ban on "conversion therapy"". SCOTUSblog. Retrieved April 4, 2026.
- ↑ Grumbach, Gary; Gregorian, Dareh (April 2, 2026). "Colorado court throws out election denier Tina Peters' 9-year sentence for tampering with election equipment". NBC News. Retrieved April 4, 2026.
- ↑ "Denver Pioneers win 3rd NCAA men's hockey title in 5 years". ESPN. The Associated Press. April 11, 2026. Retrieved April 14, 2026.
- ↑ Healy, Jack (April 21, 2026). "Immigration Agent Is Charged With Assaulting a Protester". The New York Times. Retrieved April 22, 2026.
- ↑ Brown, Matthew (May 5, 2026). "Trump administration sues Denver over its 1989 assault weapons ban". The Associated Press. Retrieved May 5, 2026.
- ↑ "Pedestrian dies after being hit by Frontier Airlines plane that was taking off at Denver airport". The Associated Press. May 9, 2026. Retrieved May 9, 2026.
- ↑ Sarles, Jesse; Walsh, Joe (May 15, 2026). "Colorado governor commutes Trump ally Tina Peters' prison sentence for voting machine tampering". CBS News.
- ↑ Ogles, Jacob (May 20, 2026). "Colorado Supreme Court says Children's Hospital must resume gender-affirming care for minors". Advocate. Retrieved May 20, 2026.
- ↑ Coltrain, Nick (May 20, 2026). "Colorado Democrats officially censure Gov. Jared Polis for Tina Peters clemency". The Denver Post. Retrieved May 20, 2026.
- ↑ Wendland, Tegan; Brasch ·, Sam (June 4, 2026). "Colorado is now in a statewide drought emergency". Colorado Public Radio. Retrieved June 4, 2026.
- ↑ Gruver, Mead; Brown, Matthew (June 4, 2026). "Homicide convictions reversed for Colorado paramedics who injected ketamine into Elijah McClain". The Associated Press. Retrieved June 5, 2026.
- ↑ O'Neil, Ty; Montoya Bryan, Susan (June 28, 2026). "3 firefighters killed, 2 injured while tackling wildfires on the Colorado-Utah border". The Associated Press. Retrieved June 28, 2026.
- ↑ Woodruff, Chase (July 2, 2026). "How democratic socialist Melat Kiros stunned Colorado politics with congressional primary win". Colorado Newsline. Retrieved July 5, 2026.
- ↑ Sarles, Jesse; Abeyta, Michael (July 17, 2026). "Employee of Aurora ICE Processing Center arrested, accused of shooting Colorado protester". CBS News Colorado. Retrieved July 17, 2026.
- ↑ Woodruff, Chase (April 11, 2025). "Michael Bennet upends race with Colorado governor bid". Retrieved October 10, 2025.