 Together with Pat Stryker, Rutt Bridges, and Tim Gill, Polis was one of the four wealthy Coloradans—sometimes called the "Gang of Four"—who donate to liberal causes.In 2000 Polis was elected at-large as a member of the Colorado State Board of Education and served a single six-year term until January 2007, when the district was eliminated.His election was one of the closest in Colorado history, as he defeated incumbent Ben Alexander by 90 votes out of 1.6 million cast.