Gov. Jared Polis asks "who do we want to be?" in his second inaugural address

Governor Jared Polis took his oath of office and a selfie as he began his second term in office with a celebration outside the state capitol.

In typical Polis style, his speech laid out an agenda that was full speed ahead. He made no mention of the challenges he faced during his first term in office, including COVID, wildfires and the STEM school and Club Q shootings.

Instead, the governor continued his theme of a "Colorado for all," where the best, he says, is yet to come.

The governor's speech was one of contrast between a nation divided and a state that he says is united.

"This peaceful continuation of power must never be taken for granted," he said, in reference to the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol. "Our mandate from the people of Colorado is to lead the Colorado way. It's not about the brand of our politics, it's about solutions."

He's delivered for the state, he says, when it comes to full-day kindergarten, cleaner air and lower taxes: "We may have crossed some big items off our to-do list, but that doesn't mean the list in front of us today is any shorter."

His new list he says includes affordable housing, clean energy, preschool for all and public safety: "And we're going to keep using every tool we have to save Coloradans money. As Colorado approaches our 150th anniversary as a state, we need to answer the question, 'who do we want to be?'"

For Polis, the answer is simple: a Colorado where the governor's inauguration includes a religious choir and gay men's choruses, where a Baptist minister gives the invocation, and Jewish rabbi the benediction, and where anything is possible.

"Nothing about the task in front of us will be easy," he said. "Here in Colorado, we don't ask for easy. Our daughter does a green or a blue, she says bring on a black or a double black. In Colorado, we scale mountains. We bridge divides. We break barriers. With joy in our hearts, we take on the toughest battles, and when they're won, we ask, 'What's next?'"

The governor will lay out a detailed plan for 'what's next' during his State of the State next week.