Colorado Gov. Jared Polis marries longtime partner, marking first same-sex marriage of sitting governor

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, the first openly gay man to be elected a U.S. governor, married his longtime partner Wednesday, marking the first same-sex marriage of a sitting U.S. governor.

Polis wed First Gentleman Marlon Reis, a writer and animal welfare advocate, in a small, outdoor, traditional Jewish ceremony while surrounded by close family and friends.

The couple, who have been together for 18 years, got engaged in December 2020. 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 said on his Facebook page.

Polis was elected governor of Colorado in 2018, and in his acceptance speech said he was "profoundly grateful" to the LGBTQ pioneers who came before him.

Polis and Reis's daughter was flower girl and their son was the ring bearer during the ceremony, which took place on the 18th anniversary of their first date, CPR News reported.

Polis told the news station he remembers standing on the steps of the U.S. Supreme Court when gay marriage was legalized in 2015.

"As I was growing up, marriage was not even in the realm of possibility," Reis said. "There was a lot of misinformation out there about what could potentially happen if you came out — what opportunities would you lose? How it would negatively impact you. So for a long time, the idea of getting married, we didn't talk about it."

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Polis proposed to Reis while they were both sick with COVID-19 in December 2020, the station reported. He had already ordered the rings and hidden them. When Reis was going to the hospital, while Polis knew he would likely get better, he thought "now's a good time."

"The greatest lesson we have learned over the past eighteen months is that life as we know it can change in an instant," Polis and Reis said in a Wednesday statement. "We are thankful for the health and wellbeing of our family and friends, and the opportunity to celebrate our life together as a married couple."

Contributing: The Associated Press

Contact News Now Reporter Christine Fernando at cfernando@usatoday.com or follow her on Twitter at @christinetfern.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jared Polis, first openly gay man elected governor, weds Marlon Reis