Greg Lopez qualifies for the November Colorado governor's race

Independent candidate for the Colorado governor's race, Greg Lopez

Colorado's race for governor just got more crowded as former Republican Congressman Greg Lopez has officially qualified for the November ballot as an independent candidate after submitting nearly 12,000 valid petition signatures statewide. Lopez, who will appear on the ballot as unaffiliated, joins Democrat Phil Weiser and Republican Victor Marx in the race for Colorado's top office.

Lopez says his campaign is built around the principles of "People Over Politics," "Do No Harm," and "Do What Works," promising practical solutions for voters dissatisfied with both major parties.

A former mayor of Parker, Lopez has made multiple bids for higher office over the years, including two unsuccessful Republican campaigns for governor. He also briefly represented Colorado's Fourth Congressional District in Congress after winning a 2024 special election.

Political observers say Lopez's independent run could reshape the race, particularly for Republican nominee Victor Marx. In a state where Democrats have won every statewide election since 2016, Republicans already face a steep climb, and an independent conservative candidate could further divide voters on the right.

The situation draws comparisons to Colorado's 2010 governor's race, when independent candidate Tom Tancredo captured more than a third of the vote, while Republican Dan Maes finished a distant third behind Democrat John Hickenlooper.

With more than half of Colorado voters registered as unaffiliated, Lopez hopes to appeal to those looking beyond the two major parties as the campaign heads toward November.