- State
- Colorado
- Office / race
- Governor
- Party
- Unaffiliated
- Reviewed
- October 24, 2026
Career timeline
An unaffiliated gubernatorial bid
Greg Lopez is running for Colorado governor as an unaffiliated candidate in the November 3, 2026 election. Colorado Public Radio identifies Taralyn Romero as his running mate. He previously competed for the Republican nomination in 2018 and 2022. The new party status is important: records of his Republican congressional service describe an earlier role, not the label under which he is campaigning now.
Sources: Colorado Public Radio general-election candidate profile ↗
Military service and education
The House historian records that Lopez was born in Dallas, graduated from high school in Irving, Texas, and served in the Air Force from 1983 to 1987. It also lists education at New Mexico State University in Alamogordo and work as a financial adviser and business owner. These experiences preceded his elected career.
Sources: House historical biography ↗
Local office and federal small-business work
Lopez served as mayor of Parker from 1992 to 1996 and as Colorado state director for the U.S. Small Business Administration from 2008 to 2014. The two roles involved different scales of government: municipal leadership in a growing community and a federal agency’s work with businesses. Both are relevant credentials to examine when assessing his current argument about economic opportunity.
Sources: House historical biography ↗
A brief term in the U.S. House
He won the 2024 special congressional election following Ken Buck’s resignation and served through January 3, 2025. The House record says he did not seek reelection that year. His congressional tenure was therefore a limited period completing a vacancy, rather than a succession of full terms, a distinction that keeps his résumé accurate without minimizing the office he held.
Sources: House historical biography ↗
The budget approach he advocates
In CPR’s candidate interview, Lopez supported building budgets from the ground up rather than simply carrying forward previous spending. He said programs and legislative proposals should be judged by their effect on residents’ lives. The approach is a campaign commitment to review and prioritization; it does not by itself identify which services would grow, shrink or receive new funding.
Sources: Colorado Public Radio general-election candidate profile ↗
Why he left the party framework
CPR’s statewide guide reports Lopez’s argument that unaffiliated voters want practical decisions rather than loyalty to political organizations. He emphasizes cooperation with legislators and responsiveness to Colorado communities. That message is the rationale for his independent campaign, while his public-office record and specific budget proposals provide concrete evidence for voters to consider.
Prepared with AI assistance. Source-based reporting checked on October 24, 2026. This article does not update automatically. Read our editorial standards.
