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A graduate of Lewis-Palmer High School, entrepreneur, public servant and mother of four, Heidi Ganahl remains steadfast in her bid to become the next governor of Colorado.
Colorado GOP gubernatorial candidate Heidi Ganahl celebrates the primary being called in her favor during an election watch party Tuesday, June 28, at Wide Open Saloon in Sedalia.
Heidi Ganahl, founder of Camp Bow Wow and a handful of nonprofit organizations, seeks election to governor of Colorado, aspiring to offer the same American dream opportunities to children and families she was provided while growing up in Monument.
A graduate of Lewis-Palmer High School, entrepreneur, public servant and mother of four, Heidi Ganahl remains steadfast in her bid to become the next governor of Colorado.
Editor’s note: This article has been updated to correct inaccuracies. Heidi Ganahl is not currently chair of the CU Board of Regents Finance or Audit committee. She was in the past. The CU budget was incorrectly listed. It is $5 billion. An earlier version of this article said she kept tuition at CU flat. However, she voted to raise tuition and fees in 2018, 2019 and 2020.
MONUMENT • You’ve probably heard the name Heidi Ganahl in the news about her campaign to become Colorado’s next governor.
It’s hard to miss the “Heidi for Governor” signs that dot lawns and roadways throughout El Paso County.
But what you might not know the Republican candidate was raised from the age of 12 in Monument and is a graduate of Lewis-Palmer High School.
For more information on Heidi Ganahl and her campaign, visit HeidiforGovernor.com.
Ganahl, a California native, told The Tribune she feels fortunate to have been able to live the “American dream” and is worried her own children and the children growing up in Colorado won’t have the same opportunities she had.
Ganahl said she has become frustrated with some of what has been happening to Colorado, such as the rising crime rate and cost of living becoming.
“Control” has been a theme for Ganahl’s campaign, as she said the present state administration has devastated rural Colorado and law enforcement.
“I’m a problem solver, not a politician,” Ganahl said. “I’m running to give control back to the people of Colorado, over their lives, businesses and families. To be their voice and get us back to the Colorado we love.
“It breaks my heart. I can’t stand what’s happening to our state.”
Colorado GOP gubernatorial candidate Heidi Ganahl celebrates the primary being called in her favor during an election watch party Tuesday, June 28, at Wide Open Saloon in Sedalia.
After graduating from LPHS, Ganahl earned a bachelor’s degree in business from University of Colorado at Boulder and a master’s in health care administration from University of Denver.
Today, Ganahl is best known as the founder of Camp Bow Wow, where she has converted a lifelong passion for dogs into the largest pet care franchise in the world. Founded in 2000 and headquartered in Westminster, Camp Bow Wow has grown into a $150 million brand, has appeared on the Inc. 500/5000 list five years in a row, and has added hundreds of franchises across the U.S. and Canada under her leadership.
Ganahl, who turned 56 Sept. 9, describes herself as a “pioneer of entrepreneurship and personal freedom,” with the success of her business, which she says has transformed the pet-care industry, creating jobs and challenging new ideas while building leadership.
Her ideals and love for Colorado started at age 12, when her family moved to Monument, a much smaller town at the time, with about 4,000 in population (it’s now more than double that, at more than 10,800, according to the U.S. Census Bureau estimates).
Ganahl’s father was a business owner and volunteered in law enforcement and her mother was an employee of the Town of Monument. She credits her parents for providing her and her brother with the opportunity to pursue the American dream.
“I feel a personal responsibility to give that opportunity back to Coloradans,” Ganahl said. “I believe in individual freedoms, and I have taken the fight for Colorado freedom to the most liberal place in Colorado.”
Ganahl, an at-large member of the University of Colorado Board of Regents, won the Republican nomination over former Parker Mayor Greg Lopez in the June 28 primary.
If Ganahl wins the general election, she will be Colorado’s first female governor.
On CU’s Board of Regents, she oversees a $5 billion budget and over 30,000 employees. She is chair of the search committee for a new CU president, a former chair of the finance and audit committees, and led major initiatives around free speech, diversity and addressing the cost of college.
As a regent, she helped eliminate safe campus spaces, and put civics back into the curriculum, she said.
“As our state experiences the crossroad of uncertainties, I promise a brighter future for several key ballot initiatives, including ‘No’ on Prop CC, the proposition to defend TABOR,” Ganahl said.
“I am a fighter. I have endured hardships and rather than giving up, it encouraged me to keep going.
“From Camp Bow Wow to becoming the only statewide elected Republican in Colorado, I am an entrepreneur with a proven record of dedication, hard work and leadership.”
In addition to Camp Bow Wow, Ganahl has created three nonprofit organizations including the Bow Wow Buddies Foundation, which provides care for sick and injured dogs and has assisted in finding homes for over 10,000 rescue dogs; the Fight Back Foundation, which helps entrepreneurs solve tough issues for children in Colorado, and Moms Fight Back, which helped pass legislation last session to support domestic violence and child abuse victims in the Colorado family court system.
Heidi Ganahl, founder of Camp Bow Wow and a handful of nonprofit organizations, seeks election to governor of Colorado, aspiring to offer the same American dream opportunities to children and families she was provided while growing up in Monument.
Ganahl lost her first husband, Bion Flammang, after two years of marriage in a plane crash in 1994. The two were wed when she was 25.
A resident of Lone Tree, she is married to Jason Ganahl, a barbecue champion and restaurateur, has four children ranging in age from 10-26 — including boy/girl twins.
The pet lover also has a labrador and two rescue cats.
“I’m a mom on a mission,” Ganahl said.
“I am thankful to all Coloradans who have supported me and continue to support me through this race.”
Ganahl has a variety of speaking engagements in El Paso County between now and the Nov. 8 election.
She is scheduled to speak at an Oct. 2 town hall event at Brakeman’s Burgers in Colorado Springs.
There are two Heidi for Governor rallies in El Paso County, Oct. 15 and Nov. 4, at which she is scheduled to speak.
Ganahl will also participate in for The Gazette & KKTV debate event Oct. 16 in Colorado Springs.
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