New Leadership for a New Colorado

From the October 2026 issue of The Colorado Conservative.

Victor Marx, George W. Markert, and Colorado's Political Crossroads

Two Marine veterans. Two unconventional paths to public service. One campaign seeking to bring a different approach to Colorado's highest offices.

By Eric Phelan

There is a difference between reading about a man and standing in the same room with him, listening to what he has to say, watching how he responds to the people around him, and eventually speaking with him face to face.

Over the past several weeks, I have had that opportunity with Victor Marx.

At two separate events, I watched a candidate carrying the weight of considerable public controversy speak openly about the challenges before him. He did not pretend the accusations and criticism surrounding his campaign did not exist. He acknowledged them. Yet what stood out to me was his determination to continue and his repeated insistence that protecting the rights and freedoms of Coloradans was central to his purpose.

There was something noticeably different about his delivery. Marx did not strike me as a conventional politician reciting carefully rehearsed talking points. He was conversational, personable, and relatable. He spoke in a manner that invited people to listen rather than simply applaud.

I also had the opportunity to speak with him personally.

I cannot claim to know another person's private motivations with certainty. But after hearing Marx speak on two occasions and talking with him on a personal level, I came away believing that his desire to help the people of Colorado is sincere.

That impression does not erase legitimate questions about his record, nor does it establish that he is prepared for every responsibility of the governor's office. It does, however, explain why I believe he deserves to be evaluated on more than the controversies that have come to define much of the public discussion surrounding his candidacy.

My assessment of the ticket has another important dimension.

Long before George Markert became Marx's running mate, I had been speaking with him and developing considerable respect for his character. I knew him as a retired Marine colonel, a father, and a man whose commitment to his state and country appeared genuine.

And I should be candid about something else: I was not entirely convinced of the Marx candidacy before Markert joined the ticket.

His selection changed my perspective.

Not because it eliminated every concern, but because I knew something of the man Marx had chosen to stand beside him.

That is what makes this ticket worth examining beyond its headlines.

One candidate brings an unconventional background in humanitarian work and public engagement. The other brings three decades of military leadership, organizational discipline, and operational experience.

Neither has held elected office. Both face the challenge of demonstrating that their experience can translate into effective state government.

But their partnership raises a question worth exploring: What might Colorado gain if these two very different men can turn their shared commitment to public service into effective leadership?

Colorado's Political History: A Long Road Back for Republicans

Colorado's political history over the past half-century provides important context for the 2026 governor's race.

In 1974, Democrat Richard Lamm won the governorship, beginning a long period of Democratic success in elections for the state's highest office.

Since that election, Republicans have won the governorship only twice, both victories belonging to Bill Owens in 1998 and 2002.

Colorado has not elected a Republican governor since 2002.

That does not mean Democrats have controlled every part of Colorado government continuously for 50 years. Republicans have held statewide offices and controlled legislative chambers during portions of that period. Colorado has also experienced substantial periods of divided government.

Nevertheless, the gubernatorial record is striking.

Democratic governors Richard Lamm, Roy Romer, Bill Ritter, John Hickenlooper, and Jared Polis have collectively occupied the office for most of the past five decades.

Since 2019, Democrats have also held the governorship and majorities in both chambers of the General Assembly.

For some Coloradans, that continuity reflects confidence in Democratic leadership and its policy priorities. For others, it raises questions about whether prolonged control by one party can lead to insufficient scrutiny of existing policies or discourage alternative approaches.

Neither conclusion should be accepted automatically.

Colorado's economic and social challenges are influenced by national inflation, interest rates, population growth, market conditions, and environmental realities. No political party can reasonably be assigned sole responsibility for every problem.

But elected officials are responsible for the decisions within their authority.

Housing regulations, state taxation, government spending, public safety policy, energy requirements, and infrastructure planning are all areas in which state leadership matters.

For Republicans, the challenge is especially significant. Winning a statewide election requires more than energizing traditional conservative voters. It requires communicating with unaffiliated voters and with Coloradans who may agree with individual Republican proposals but remain skeptical of the party.

Marx appears to recognize the difficulty of that political environment. His campaign has emphasized direct appearances and personal engagement rather than relying exclusively on the conventions of traditional Republican campaigning.

That approach has advantages and limitations.

Personal appearances can reveal qualities that formal debates may not capture. Debates, meanwhile, allow voters to compare candidates under similar conditions and test their responses to difficult questions.

Marx's participation in conventional debates and forums has been uneven, and critics have reasonably questioned that choice. His appearances before audiences offer one form of accessibility, but they are not a complete substitute for sustained questioning.

After more than two decades without a Republican governor, the Marx–Markert ticket represents another opportunity for voters to evaluate whether different leadership could produce different results.

Victor Marx: Leadership Outside the Political Establishment

Victor Marx is not a conventional candidate for governor.

His background includes service in the United States Marine Corps during the 1980s, martial arts instruction, religious ministry, public speaking, and the establishment of All Things Possible Ministries.

Based in Colorado Springs, the organization focuses on humanitarian assistance, trauma-related support, and activities involving people affected by exploitation, violence, and conflict.

The ministry reports conducting more than 150 high-risk missions and helping tens of thousands of women and children.

Those figures are claims made by the organization, and the precise scope of some of its activities has not been independently verified. Reporting has raised questions about certain accounts of Marx's humanitarian work.

That distinction is important. A fair evaluation should recognize the organization and its activities without treating every promotional claim as an established fact.

Marx has nevertheless spent years developing a nonprofit organization, building relationships, raising support, communicating with large audiences, and pursuing a defined mission.

Those responsibilities involve leadership skills that are relevant beyond the nonprofit sector.

Organizational success requires attracting capable people, establishing priorities, managing resources, and responding to changing circumstances.

Marx's argument is that government should be approached with a similar focus on accomplishing its mission.

For a state government, that mission is serving the public within the limits of the law.

His campaign emphasizes the need to make Colorado more affordable, protect individual rights, improve public safety, and ensure that taxpayer resources are used responsibly.

The appeal is understandable.

A family struggling to pay its bills wants practical improvement. A victim of crime wants protection and justice. A small-business owner wants predictable rules and the opportunity to succeed.

Marx's challenge is demonstrating that his experience can translate into the complicated legal, administrative, and financial environment of state government.

His previous work offers reasons to examine his potential seriously. It does not eliminate the need for detailed plans and qualified advisers.

George Markert: Three Decades of Organizational Leadership

George Markert brings a different professional background to the ticket.

Raised in Virginia Beach, Virginia, Markert attended Virginia Tech and received his Marine Corps commission in 1993.

He served approximately 30 years before retiring as a colonel.

His military career emphasized logistics, transportation, supply systems, maintenance, engineering support, and strategic planning.

These responsibilities are essential to the functioning of large organizations.

Equipment must be available and maintained. Personnel must be properly assigned and supported. Supplies must arrive where needed. Operations must be coordinated across departments, often under demanding conditions.

Markert's professional biography describes command responsibilities involving organizations of up to approximately 2,000 personnel and chief-of-staff duties involving organizations of approximately 8,000.

His education includes graduate study in business administration, military studies, and national security strategy.

Those experiences provide a foundation in organizational leadership and long-term planning.

Markert has also emphasized mentorship and the importance of developing capable people.

That philosophy could be particularly relevant in state government.

A governor and lieutenant governor cannot personally administer every program or supervise every agency. Effective executive leadership depends on selecting qualified personnel, defining responsibilities, coordinating departments, and establishing clear expectations.

Markert's background could contribute to those responsibilities.

His experience is not identical to managing civilian government. Military institutions operate within different chains of command and legal frameworks.

Still, the fundamental challenges of resource management, personnel coordination, operational planning, and accountability are not unique to the armed forces.

Markert's qualifications provide a credible basis for considering him for an executive role.

A Personal Perspective on Markert

My perspective on George Markert comes from more than a single campaign event or a brief conversation. I have been speaking with him since well before he was selected as Victor Marx's running mate, and through those conversations, I have developed considerable respect for the man.

Markert is a soldier, a father, and someone I have come to regard as deeply dedicated to his state and country.

His manner reflects the discipline, steadiness, and sense of responsibility associated with his long military career. But what has impressed me most is not simply his résumé. It is the character and commitment I have observed through our conversations.

He strikes me as a natural leader who understands that public service is a responsibility rather than a privilege.

My respect for Markert meaningfully changed how I viewed the combined ticket.

That change was not based simply on party loyalty or campaign enthusiasm. It came from my existing familiarity with him, my respect for his judgment, and the confidence I had developed in his approach to leadership.

I believe his selection may have reassured other conservatives who, like me, had reservations about Marx's readiness to govern. The extent of that effect is difficult to measure, but Markert brings a distinct set of qualifications that deserves consideration on its own merits.

His presence does not eliminate the questions surrounding Marx's candidacy, nor does military command automatically translate into successful civilian administration.

What it does offer is a potentially valuable balance of experience.

Primary Victory Decided by a Narrow Margin

Marx's path to the Republican nomination was highly competitive.

In the June 30, 2026, primary, he faced state Senator Barbara Kirkmeyer and state Representative Scott Bottoms.

Both opponents brought legislative experience that Marx lacked.

According to final unofficial results reported July 9, Marx received approximately 39.87% of the vote, Kirkmeyer received 39.39%, and Bottoms received 20.75%.

Marx's margin over Kirkmeyer was just 2,515 votes.

The result demonstrated that a political newcomer could defeat established candidates in a statewide Republican primary.

It also revealed divisions within the party.

A victory by less than half a percentage point cannot reasonably be described as an overwhelming mandate. Approximately six in ten Republican primary voters selected another candidate.

That reality makes coalition-building particularly important.

Markert followed a different route into the race.

He originally sought the Republican nomination for the United States Senate but did not qualify for the primary ballot through the state assembly process.

Marx subsequently selected him as his running mate, announcing the choice on July 31.

The decision brought together two candidates with military backgrounds but different professional experiences.

Marx brought a public following, nonprofit experience, and a campaign organization. Markert brought decades of institutional leadership and operational management.

Their success would depend in part on whether those different strengths could function effectively together.

Colorado Works Better: Turning Accountability Into a Governing Plan

One initiative associated with Marx's campaign is Colorado Works Better, a proposed framework for making state government more transparent, efficient, and accountable.

Its stated purpose is straightforward: government should be accountable to the people who fund it, transparent about how their money is spent, and willing to measure whether programs accomplish their intended purposes.

The published framework emphasizes reviewing expenditures, examining agency performance, identifying waste and duplication, and making government information more accessible to the public.

Marx has also advocated zero-based budgeting, an approach that requires expenditures to be justified rather than simply accepting the previous year's spending as the starting point for future appropriations.

For an ordinary Colorado family, the underlying principle is familiar.

When household expenses rise faster than income, families must examine their budgets, establish priorities, and determine which expenditures are necessary.

State government is considerably more complicated, with constitutional obligations, statutory requirements, and essential services that cannot simply be eliminated.

Nevertheless, evaluating expenditures against intended results is a principle that can apply to government as well.

Colorado Works Better also places emphasis on greater public visibility into government contracts and agency performance.

The proposal is ambitious, and implementation would require careful consideration of existing transparency laws, privacy protections, agency responsibilities, and the authority of the governor relative to the legislature.

It would also require measurable standards.

Identifying waste is useful only when the resulting changes produce genuine savings or better services without shifting unnecessary costs elsewhere.

This is an area where George Markert's background could be particularly relevant. His decades of military experience in logistics, organizational management, and strategic planning provide a potential foundation for coordinating administrative reviews and evaluating operational performance.

What makes Colorado Works Better noteworthy is its emphasis on establishing standards by which an administration could itself be judged.

The question would no longer be simply whether state officials announced reforms, but whether those reforms produced identifiable improvements in spending, efficiency, transparency, and public service.

For a campaign built around the promise of accountability, that is an appropriate expectation.

Colorado Works Better remains a proposed governing framework, not an established record of results. Its effectiveness would depend on implementation, legislative cooperation, and the willingness of an administration to report its shortcomings as openly as its successes.

Still, the initiative gives voters something more specific to examine than a general promise to make government work better.

Affordability: The Challenge Facing Colorado Families

Affordability is among the most important issues in the 2026 election.

For many Colorado households, the pressure is felt through housing payments, property taxes, insurance premiums, utilities, transportation, and groceries.

A family may be earning more than it did several years ago yet still find itself with less money remaining after essential expenses.

A small-business owner may have sufficient customer demand to expand but hesitate because of labor expenses, financing costs, insurance, and regulatory requirements.

These problems do not have a single cause or an easy solution.

The Marx–Markert campaign proposes addressing them through a combination of regulatory reform, tax restraint, economic development, and greater accountability in government spending.

Housing

Marx supports accelerating residential permitting, reducing unnecessary regulatory barriers, and establishing more predictable development approval processes.

The economic reasoning is that delays and compliance expenses can increase the cost of producing housing.

Reducing unnecessary barriers could encourage additional construction and help improve supply over time.

However, housing prices are also affected by land availability, labor costs, financing, infrastructure, and market demand.

Regulatory reform may contribute to affordability, but it cannot guarantee lower prices on its own.

Taxes and Government Spending

The ticket supports protecting Colorado's Taxpayer's Bill of Rights and scrutinizing fees that impose additional costs on residents and businesses.

Marx has proposed targeted property-tax relief and phased income-tax reductions when fiscal conditions permit.

Markert has emphasized reviewing state-agency budgets, evaluating expenditures, and determining whether programs are delivering meaningful results.

This is an area in which his organizational experience could prove useful.

A disciplined review of government spending should identify duplication, inefficiency, outdated procedures, and programs that fail to accomplish their objectives.

But responsible fiscal reform also requires recognizing legally mandated services and understanding the consequences of reducing particular expenditures.

The campaign has not yet established through a comprehensive independently verified fiscal model how much its proposals would save.

The principle of measuring results, however, is a reasonable standard for any administration.

Insurance and Energy

The campaign supports examining insurance costs, encouraging competition, and considering mechanisms intended to reduce premium volatility.

On energy, Marx advocates a diversified portfolio that includes oil, natural gas, renewable generation, hydropower, nuclear technologies, and energy storage.

The stated objective is reliable and affordable energy.

That approach recognizes that Colorado's households and industries require dependable electricity and fuel while also facing environmental and infrastructure considerations.

The effectiveness of specific proposals would depend on their costs, regulatory implications, and long-term performance.

Civil Liberties and the Proper Role of Government

Marx and Markert identify with constitutional conservatism.

Their stated philosophy emphasizes individual responsibility, limited government, parental authority, and protection of constitutional rights.

The Second Amendment

Both candidates have expressed strong support for lawful firearms ownership.

Marx has criticized Colorado restrictions involving magazine capacity, waiting periods, and red-flag laws.

Their position emphasizes enforcement against criminal conduct rather than expanding restrictions on lawful gun owners.

For voters concerned about Second Amendment protections, the ticket offers a clearly stated philosophy.

Implementation would still require respect for existing law, legislative procedures, and judicial decisions.

A governor cannot independently repeal statutes simply by disagreeing with them.

Other Constitutional Protections

Civil liberties extend beyond firearms ownership.

They include freedom of speech, religious exercise, privacy, due process, equal protection, and protection against unreasonable searches and seizures.

The campaign's commitment to limited government provides a framework for considering these rights.

However, more detailed explanations would be useful concerning emergency powers, law-enforcement authority, surveillance, and conflicts between public safety and individual liberty.

A consistent constitutional philosophy must protect rights even when doing so creates political or administrative difficulties.

That standard should apply to every administration.

Public Safety and the Protection of Communities

Public safety is another central priority of the Marx–Markert campaign.

The ticket advocates stronger enforcement against violent crime, fentanyl trafficking, repeat offenders, and human trafficking.

It also supports providing law enforcement with appropriate training, resources, and institutional support.

Marx's humanitarian background may provide useful insight into the needs of people affected by trauma and exploitation.

Markert's operational experience could contribute to coordination among agencies and clearer performance expectations.

Effective public safety requires more than enforcement alone.

It also depends on reliable investigations, competent prosecution, appropriate sentencing, constitutional safeguards, victim services, and effective responses to addiction and mental-health crises.

A successful administration would need to determine which policies produce measurable reductions in crime while protecting the rights of residents.

The ticket's emphasis on safety provides a clear priority. The challenge would be translating that priority into policies that demonstrate results.

Education, Water and Colorado's Long-Term Future

The campaign's educational proposals emphasize parental involvement, school choice, transparency in spending, and directing resources toward classroom instruction.

Marx supports expanded educational options and examining administrative overhead.

Markert's background in training and professional development could offer useful perspectives on workforce preparation, technical education, and apprenticeships.

These possibilities would need to be developed into specific proposals that account for Colorado's varied school districts, including rural communities with limited resources.

Water presents another significant challenge.

Colorado's agricultural economy, growing cities, industries, and natural environment all depend on careful management of limited water resources.

The campaign supports protecting Colorado's water interests, improving drought planning, and addressing speculative acquisition of agricultural water rights.

Markert's strategic-planning background could be useful in evaluating infrastructure and long-term resource needs.

Nevertheless, Colorado water law and interstate agreements require specialized expertise.

An effective administration would need to work closely with agricultural communities, water providers, engineers, legal specialists, and local governments.

The same principle applies to transportation, energy infrastructure, and economic development.

Long-term problems require planning that extends beyond election cycles and the Marx/Markert team have begun laying the groundwork.

Can They Govern?

This is the question that ultimately matters.

Marx and Markert have substantial experience outside elected office, but neither has previously administered Colorado's state government.

The governor must develop budgets, oversee agencies, make appointments, negotiate with legislators, respond to emergencies, and carry out constitutional and statutory responsibilities.

The lieutenant governor must be prepared to assume executive authority when required and may receive significant additional responsibilities from the governor.

These duties require judgment, technical expertise, cooperation, and an understanding of institutional limits.

Marx's strengths appear most closely connected to public communication, organizational development, and mission-oriented leadership.

Markert's strengths appear most closely connected to operational management, logistics, personnel coordination, and strategic planning.

Those qualities could complement each other.

The partnership's effectiveness would depend heavily on the people appointed to senior administrative positions.

Experienced budget officials, attorneys, agency directors, policy specialists, and local-government representatives would be essential.

Markert could potentially serve as an important coordinator of administrative reforms.

Marx would need to demonstrate that his leadership approach can accommodate the negotiation, legal constraints, and competing responsibilities of civilian government.

Their lack of elected experience should be considered seriously, but it should not be treated as automatic proof that they cannot succeed.

Leadership can develop in many environments.

The more important question is whether candidates understand the responsibilities of the offices they seek and are prepared to assemble the expertise necessary to fulfill them.

“Measure the problem, fix what's broken, track the results, and report them to people.”

— Victor Marx, in an interview published by Rocky Mountain PBS

https://www.rmpbs.org/news/elections/victor-marx-colorado-interview?utm_source=chatgpt.com

A Ticket With Complementary Strengths

The partnership between Marx and Markert is interesting because their backgrounds are not identical.

Marx's career has emphasized humanitarian concerns, public engagement, and organizing people around a mission.

Markert's career has emphasized institutional management, logistics, strategic planning, and the coordination of large organizations.

One brings experience building public support around a cause. The other brings experience working within complex organizational systems.

An effective state administration needs both the ability to establish priorities and the discipline to implement them.

It needs leaders who understand the human consequences of policy decisions and administrators who can manage the resources required to carry them out.

It also needs officials willing to acknowledge uncertainty, consider competing evidence, and revise approaches that fail to produce results.

The Marx–Markert ticket has the potential to combine some of these qualities.

Whether that potential becomes effective governance would depend on transparency, qualified appointments, legislative cooperation, and measurable outcomes.

Colorado's Next Chapter

Colorado's future will not be determined by political slogans.

It will be shaped by decisions concerning housing, energy, water, education, public safety, infrastructure, and the responsible use of taxpayer resources.

After decades in which Democrats have won most gubernatorial elections, the 2026 contest provides voters with another opportunity to examine a competing approach to leadership.

Victor Marx and George Markert bring experiences that differ substantially from those of many traditional candidates.

Marx has worked in humanitarian and nonprofit settings, building a public identity around service and action.

Markert has spent decades developing organizational and strategic leadership skills in the Marine Corps.

Their backgrounds do not guarantee success. Nor does their lack of elected experience establish that they are incapable of governing effectively.

The fairest assessment recognizes both possibilities.

There are legitimate questions about aspects of Marx's past claims, the specificity of the campaign's fiscal proposals, and the ability of two political newcomers to navigate Colorado's institutions.

There are also credible reasons to examine the strengths each candidate could bring to executive office.

Their stated priorities — affordability, public safety, constitutional protections, and government accountability — address concerns that affect Coloradans across political boundaries.

The opportunity before them is to demonstrate that those priorities can become practical, measurable policies.

The potential of the Marx–Markert ticket lies in combining concern for the people government serves with disciplined management of the institutions responsible for serving them.

That combination would be valuable in any administration.

My personal experiences with both candidates have left me with a favorable impression of their intentions and the complementary qualities they bring to the ticket. I believe Marx is earnest in his desire to serve Colorado, and my longstanding respect for Markert gives me greater confidence in the partnership than I had before his selection.

Those are personal judgments, not guarantees of future performance.

If Marx and Markert can assemble capable teams, respect constitutional limits, work constructively with the legislature, and hold themselves accountable for results, their unconventional experience could become an asset rather than a limitation.

Colorado's challenges are real, but so are its opportunities.

The state has a talented workforce, substantial natural resources, innovative industries, agricultural communities, and residents who care deeply about its future.

Effective leadership can help those strengths flourish.

The 2026 election will determine which candidates receive the responsibility to guide Colorado through its next chapter.

For Marx and Markert, the task is to demonstrate that their experience, priorities, and proposed approach can meet the demands of that responsibility.

For voters, the task is to examine the evidence, ask difficult questions, and judge every candidate by the same standards.

Colorado's future deserves nothing less.

Editorial Disclosure

This article is an independent candidate profile prepared for publication by The Colorado Conservative. It does not constitute a formal endorsement of Victor Marx, George Markert, or their campaign.

Neither candidate nor their campaign has paid for, sponsored, or purchased placement of this article.

The author has personally attended events featuring Victor Marx, spoken with him, and maintained direct contact with George Markert since before his selection as the lieutenant gubernatorial candidate. Personal impressions are identified as such within the article.

The campaign's permission to use materials does not constitute editorial control. All factual assessments, analysis, and editorial conclusions remain the responsibility of The Colorado Conservative.

Sources and Research

This feature draws on publicly available campaign materials, candidate interviews, historical election information, and reporting available through October 16, 2026, including:

• Victor Marx's published 2026 campaign platform and campaign statements. • The Colorado Works Better plan published by Colorado Families for Conservative Leadership. • Colorado Politics reporting on the June 2026 Republican gubernatorial primary. • Colorado Public Radio's coverage of Marx's candidacy and the selection of Markert. • The Colorado Sun's August 2026 interview with George Markert. • Colorado Politics reporting on Markert's military career and leadership philosophy. • KKTV's October 2026 lieutenant governor candidate interviews. • Colorado Secretary of State historical gubernatorial election records. • National Governors Association historical information on Governor Bill Owens.

Campaign statements, organizational claims, and the author's personal observations are distinguished from independently established facts where relevant.

Linked references from the print edition

• www.rmpbs.org/news/elections/victor-marx-colorado-interview