Meet the first openly gay governor in the US, Jared Polis: the politician lauded Shawn Mendes for opening up about his sexuality, and was rumoured to be Democrat nominee Kamala Harris’s running mate

Nov 2 , 2024

Democrat Jared Polis is the first openly gay governor in the US. Photo: AFP

The 49-year-old Princeton graduate made his fortune in tech before turning to public service, serving as Colorado’s governor since 2019 – and shares 2 children with his partner of 20 years

Colorado’s governor, Jared Polis, has lauded pop star Shawn Mendes for opening up about his sexuality during his show in the state’s Red Rocks Amphitheatre on October 28.

Shawn Mendes arrives at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards in January 2020, in Los Angeles. Photo: TNS

The Canadian singer, who has had high-profile relationships with the likes of Camila Cabello, Sabrina Carpenter and Hailey Bieber, addressed long-time rumours about his sexuality and told the crowd that he’s still “figuring it out like everybody else”.

Polis, the country’s first openly gay governor, told TMZ that Mendes was “surrounded by welcoming Coloradans who support his personal freedom to be exactly who he is”.

Jared Polis was speculated to be vice-president Kamala Harris’ running mate in the upcoming presidential election. Photo: @jaredpolis/Instagram

“Red Rocks is a great place to share anything and everything. Colorado is a state where everyone, no matter who they are, can love who they love without fear and be who they are,” he added.

Polis was elected as the state’s 43rd governor in 2019 and has served as a congressman for five terms from 2009 to 2019.

Here’s everything you need to know about Jared Polis:

Jared Polis started as a businessman

Jared Polis worked in the private sector first. Photo: @jaredpolis/Instagram

Before turning to politics, Polis, 49, built his wealth in the tech world. According to the Princeton Alumni Weekly, he is known to have started an internet service company from his dorm room during college and later sold it for US$23 million.