Barbara Kirkmeyer

Barbara Jean Kirkmeyer (born September 15, 1958) is an American politician serving as a member of the Colorado Senate for District 23, which encompasses parts of Weld and Larimer counties in north-central Colorado. She was the Republican nominee for Colorado's 8th congressional district in the 2022 election. Early life and education Kirkmeyer is a fourth-generation Coloradoan and has lived in Weld County for 40 years. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in physical education from the University of Colorado Boulder in 1980. Career Kirkmeyer served for a total of 19 years as a County Commissioner for Weld County, Colorado, having been elected and re-elected five times. Representing the third district, she served from 1993 to 2000 and again from 2009 to 2020. In the interim, Kirkmeyer served as acting director of the Colorado Department of Local Affairs under Colorado Governor Bill Owens. In addition, she has served on several boards and commissions, including the Fort Lupton Urban Renewal Authority Board and the Dacono Urban Renewal Authority Board. In the 2020 Republican primary election for Colorado's 23rd Senate district, Kirkmeyer defeated opponent Rupert Parchment, winning 55.24% of the votes cast. In the 2020 general election, Kirkmeyer defeated her Democratic Party opponent, winning 55.14% of the votes cast. She currently serves on the Senate Education, Local Government, Health and Human Services, and Statutory Revision Committees. She is also Vice Chair of the Legislative Interim Committee on School Finance.