Who is Jared Polis’ partner, Marlon Reis?
MARLON Reis is a father, husband, and writer, but his true passion lies in advocacy – for civil, animal, and LGBTQ+ rights.
Jared Polis made history when he became the first openly gay man elected governor in the US, but the Colorado governor's husband, Marlon Reis, is also making headlines as the state's first First Gentleman of Colorado.
Who is Jared Polis' partner, Marlon Reis?
Marlon Reis was born on July 1, 1981, in Boulder, Colorado.
He earned a bachelor's degree in English Literature at the University of Colorado at Boulder.
Reis is a writer whose works have been published in CNN, The Washington Post, and USA Today.
According to his Instagram, Reis says his "interests include animal protection and environmental issues," which he often advocates for on his social media channels.
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In 2002, he met Jared Polis while finishing up his education. Reis and Polis have two children; a son born in 2011 and a daughter born in 2014.
Reis also served as Polis' unofficial advisor during his gubernatorial campaign for governor. When Polis was elected governor of Colorado, Reis became the first gentleman of Colorado.
During his tenure as first gentleman, Reis has advocated for animal, environmental, and civil rights, animal welfare, and LGBT rights.
Reis admits that it took some time to get used to the attention being a significant other in politics brings, telling The Denver Post: “I’m happy that I get to set an example."
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“And I’m mindful of the fact that the LGBTQ community — and all minorities, to be honest — are looking to Jared and I and our family and hopefully taking away an inspiring message," he added.
Reis and Polis were in a relationship for 18 years before tying the knot in September 2021.
According to CPR News, the duo's "daughter served as the flower girl and their son was the ring bearer."
Reis' partner, Jared Polis, described the couple's traditional Jewish ceremony, telling CPR News: “We just thought we would have a small gathering: family, a few close friends, just keep it very intimate, but still have something that was meaningful to us and our nuclear families."
The couple chose their wedding date because it fell on the 18th anniversary of their first date.
Polis recalled that the duo "went to the Boulder Bookstore and then went to dinner." The happy couple were ecstatic to finally make things official, for themselves and their family.
Reis said: “As I was growing up, marriage was not even in the realm of possibility."
He added that "it was great to celebrate our love for one another with our family."
Who is Governor Jared Polis?
Jared Schutz Polis was born on May 12, 1975, in Boulder, Colorado.
He is the son of Stephen and Susan Polis Schutz, the founders of Blue Mountain Arts, a greeting card and book publisher.
While in college, he co-founded American Information Systems (AIS) Inc., an internet access provider.
In 1996, Polis graduated from Princeton University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Politics.
In 1998, he founded ProFlowers, an online florist. The company, later renamed Provide Commerce, Inc., went public in December 2003. It was acquired by Liberty Media Corporation for $477 million in 2005.
In 2000, he officially changed his name to Jared Polis, his mother's surname, to raise awareness for a fundraiser.
That same year, he was elected as a member of the Colorado State Board of Education, which he held until the district was eliminated in January 2007.
In 2008, Polis won the Democratic primary election for Colorado's second congressional district.
On November 4, 2008, he won the state's general election with 63% of the vote, succeeding Mark Udall.
Polis was reelected to the House in 2010, 2012, 2014, and 2016.
He served on several committees, including the Committee on Education and the Workforce, the Committee on Natural Resources, and the Committee on Rules.
He was also a member of several Caucuses, including the Congressional Cannabis Caucus, the Congressional Progressive Caucus, and the LGBT Equality Caucus.
During his tenure as a member of the US House of Representatives, he was considered one of the wealthiest members of Congress.
According to the Denver Gazette, as of August 2022, his net worth is reportedly around $400 million.
While Polis is a member of the Democratic Party, he has been described as a libertarian. In an April 25, 2022 podcast episode, Reason described him as "the most libertarian governor in America."
How long has Jared Polis been in office?
Jared Polis has been the governor of Colorado since January 2019.
He first announced his candidacy for governor of Colorado in 2018. He was elected governor on November 6, 2018, with 53.4% of the vote.
On January 8, 2019, Polis was sworn into office. He became the first openly gay man elected governor in the US. He also became the first Jewish person elected governor of Colorado.
In 2021, he became the first US governor in a same-sex marriage after marrying his partner, Marlon Reis.
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Polis was also reelected to a second term in 2022, becoming the first US governor in a same-sex marriage to be reelected.
As of December 2023, he's served as Colorado's governor for nearly five years.