Victor Marx waited until Colorado’s running-mate deadline to reveal a choice that doubles down on his outsider pitch: retired Marine Col. George Markert will join the Republican nominee’s ticket as lieutenant governor. The move gives Marx a fellow political newcomer with a military résumé as the GOP ticket heads toward a November showdown with Democrat Phil Weiser.
Marx announced Markert Friday morning on the Jeff and Bill Show, saying the retired officer brings experience in logistics, public safety, infrastructure and budgeting, according to Axios Denver. The campaign has framed the pairing as an alternative to Colorado’s existing political system, with Marx emphasizing executive experience over a long record in elected office.
Markert is a Broomfield resident who spent more than three decades in the Marine Corps before retiring, the Denver Gazette reports. He later sought the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate seat held by Democrat John Hickenlooper but did not make the primary ballot. The failed Senate bid nevertheless gave him a recent run at statewide politics before Marx selected him.
Marx Leans Into An Outsider Ticket
The choice sharpens the contrast Marx has been drawing throughout the campaign: a ticket built around military, business and operational experience rather than traditional political credentials. Axios reported that Marx described Markert as someone who could help modernize state government without bringing a “long learning curve” to the job.
Colorado’s November Matchup Takes Shape
The selection came on the final day for Colorado’s major-party gubernatorial nominees to designate running mates. Weiser had already named Jefferson County Commissioner Lesley Dahlkemper on July 22, giving Democrats a ticket anchored by local-government experience, as Colorado Politics reported.
Marx won the three-way Republican primary after edging state Sen. Barb Kirkmeyer, while state Rep. Scott Bottoms finished behind them, according to The Associated Press. He now faces a difficult general-election landscape: Colorado has not elected a Republican governor in more than two decades, and Democratic Gov. Jared Polis is term-limited.
Markert’s selection gives voters a clearer look at what a Marx administration would prioritize if the ticket wins in November. It also turns a previously open question about the Republican ticket into a direct contrast between military-and-outsider leadership and a Democratic ticket led by experienced state and local officials.
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