Colorado’s Jared Polis became the first sitting governor to marry a same-sex partner when he wed Marlon Reis in a traditional Jewish ceremony on Wednesday.
The date marked the 18th anniversary of the couple’s first date. They have two children, ages 7 and 9.
“We are both excited for this new chapter in our lives together, and our hearts are full with the blessings of health, love, and family,” Polis wrote on Facebook.
Polis, a Democrat who served in the U.S. House of Representatives for a decade, became the nation’s first openly gay governor when he was elected in 2018. Reis is a writer and animal rights activist.
The couple got engaged last December as they were both dealing with COVID-19 symptoms. Reis would eventually require hospitalization, but before he was admitted, Polis got down on one knee to propose.
“The greatest lesson we have learned over the past 18 months is that life as we know it can change in an instant. We are thankful for the health and well-being of our family and friends, and the opportunity to celebrate our life together as a married couple,” the newlyweds said in a joint statement.
All attendees at their wedding ceremony were required to test negative for COVID-19.
NBC News reports:
Wednesday’s ceremony marked the first same-sex marriage of a sitting governor. Former Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., was the first sitting member of Congress to marry someone of the same sex in 2012.
“Over the course of Jared’s career in Congress, you know, we didn’t set out to be the first of anything. Things sort of happened that way,” Reis told Colorado Public Radio.