Gov. Jared Polis used his final State of the State address to reflect on seven years of policy changes, blending cultural references and nostalgia, and drawing sharply different reactions from people.

Lawmakers both past and present — as well as representatives from state agencies, nonprofit organizations and other guests — listened to Polis speak for nearly 90 minutes about what the state has accomplished since he took office in 2019. He touted his work on universal preschool and childhood poverty, and noted “curveballs,” notably the COVID-19 pandemic and some of the largest wildfires in state history.

KC Becker, who served as Speaker of the House from 2019 to 2021, noted Polis’ signature use of humor and nerdy references in speeches.

“It’s very Jared Polis humor,” she said. “That always stands out to me.”

Becker said she also appreciated Polis’ calls to end division and be kinder to one another, which echoed much of what state leaders in the House and Senate told their colleagues on Wednesday when the 2026 legislative session officially started.

Becker, who served in the legislature for eight years, said Polis’ recounting of his seven years as governor also served as a look back on her own time in office.

“He really has gotten a lot done,” she said, noting his work to push for full-day kindergarten. “There’s just a lot that’s happened. For me, it was a nostalgic look back, and I appreciated it.”

While Democrats stood and applauded the governor multiple times throughout his speech, Republican lawmakers mostly stayed in their seats.

House Minority Leader Jarvis Caldwell, R-Colorado Springs, posted on X that he kept a tally of Polis’ mentions of Taylor Swift versus school choice, farmers or ranchers. The popstar was mentioned three times during Polis’s speech, while school choice was mentioned once, and farmers and ranchers were brought up twice, Caldwell said.

Rep Brandi Bradley, R-Littleton, also took to X to post an image of First Gentleman Marlon Reis watching the speech while holding the family’s dog, Gia, next to an AI-generated image of Polis holding a dog with a caged wolf looming in the background.

“While Governor Polis gives his State of the State with Marlon by his side at the Capitol, let’s be honest about the optics,” she said. “That may be the only dog in Colorado truly safe from the wolves his administration forced onto rural communities.”

Grey wolves were reintroduced to the state through the passage of a citizen-approved ballot measure in 2020. Polis noted there are now about 30 wolves in Western Colorado. Several of the predators have killed livestock and other farm animals.

“This administration STILL cannot read the room,” Bradley continued. “Urban virtue signaling doesn’t feed families, protect livestock, or respect the people who actually steward Colorado’s land.”