Colorado Governor Jared Polis’ chief of staff is leaving for a job at UCHealth

Colorado Governor Jared Polis’ chief of staff will leave the administration next week to take a job as a lobbyist at UCHealth.

Alec Garnett, a former Democratic lawmaker from Denver, joined the governor’s office in early 2023 after serving as speaker of the Colorado House of Representatives. He leveraged those close ties with lawmakers as he worked to pass Polis’ agenda and speak out on legislation, including during a special legislative session last week aimed at averting ballot initiatives for property tax reform as part of a deal with conservative and business interest groups. .

After Polis’ office announced Tuesday that he would step down as chief of staff on Sept. 13, UCHealth said in an internal announcement that Garnett would join the health care system as vice president of government and regulatory affairs.

Polis’ new chief of staff will be David Oppenheim, who served as Garnett’s deputy and handled legislative and policy matters. Previously, he was director of operations and cabinet affairs. In 2019, he joined the governor’s office as legislative director.