Greg Lopez

Greg Lopez is an independent candidate for governor, on a joint ticket with Taralyn Romero. A veteran, small-business owner and former mayor of Parker, he led the Small Business Administration's Colorado office and briefly represented Colorado's 4th District in Congress in 2024 and 2025. He ran for governor as a Republican in 2018 and 2022 and left the party in January 2026.[1][2][3][4]

Lopez was born in Dallas and grew up in Irving, Texas, the grandson of farm workers.[1] His campaign says his father had a sixth-grade education and his mother a tenth-grade education.[3] He joined the U.S. Air Force after high school, serving from 1983 to 1987 as a weapon specialist at Holloman Air Force Base, and used his military benefits to earn an associate's degree in business administration from New Mexico State University Alamogordo.[1][3] He married Lisa Garcia in 1988 and the couple moved to Colorado that year; they have two children and live in Elizabeth in Elbert County.[1][3]

After leaving the military Lopez worked as a financial advisor, and in 1992, at age 27, he was elected mayor of Parker, a role that also included serving as town administrator.[1][3] He was elected as a Democrat and switched to the Republican Party in 1994.[1] He later directed the ACE Scholarship Foundation, led the Denver Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the Rocky Mountain Minority Supplier Development Council, and served as the Small Business Administration's Colorado director from 2008 to 2014.[1][3] His campaign says he issued more than $600 million in loans to Colorado small businesses in 2013 alone.[3]

Lopez placed fourth in the 1998 Republican primary for Colorado Senate District 30 and later withdrew from the 2016 Republican U.S. Senate race.[1] He finished third in the 2018 Republican primary for governor with 13.2 percent of the vote and lost the 2022 Republican primary to Heidi Ganahl, 53.9 percent to 46.1 percent.[1]

In 2024 a Republican nominating committee chose Lopez over Logan County Commissioner Jerry Sonnenberg, 51 to 46, as the party's candidate in the special election to replace Rep. Ken Buck.[1] He won the June 25 special election with 58.4 percent of the vote, was sworn in July 8, 2024, and did not run for a full term, so his service ended on January 3, 2025.[1][4] He announced his campaign for governor in April 2025 as a Republican and said in January 2026 that he was leaving the party to run as an independent.[1]

Researched from the cited sources on 2026-10-21.