Eleven Republicans are running for Colorado Governor, but just two GOP candidates are in the race to oust Democratic incumbent Sen. John Hickenlooper next year, and they’re both unabashedly pro-Trump and weak financially, raising questions about why more candidates haven’t entered the race in a state where 59% of voters disapprove of Trump’s overall job performance.
The pair, former state Rep. Janak Joshi and retired Colonel George Markert, could be on a familiar path to compete over who’s the most aligned with the MAGA right.
Joshi has left no doubt that his top priority in federal office would be to support Donald Trump’s MAGA agenda.
Last year, during his primary race against U.S. Rep. Gabe Evans (R-CO), Joshi stated in campaign literature that he was “proudly pro-Trump” and was an “America First Republican.” He backed Trump’s tax cuts and his mass deportation plan, saying about undocumented immigrants that “we should deport them all.”
In a speech after winning a slot to face Evans in a primary election runoff, Joshi, who is of Asian descent, delivered a joke to illustrate his loyalty to Trump. He said, “Everybody wants to be a chief in Washington, D.C.! And nobody wants to be an Indian. I am that Indian! … Send this Indian to Washington, D.C.”
Joshi, who lost his 2024 primary race overwhelmingly to Evans, didn’t return a call for comment.
For his part, Markert describes himself on his website as “a constitutional conservative and proud supporter of President Trump’s America First agenda,” promising in a video to “finish what DOGE started.”
In August, he welcomed the endorsement of former Colorado Congressman Tom Tancredo, who’s known as one of the most right-wing political figures in Colorado, characterizing Tancredo as a “great man.” (Tancredo endorsed Joshi in his congressional race last year, according to Joshi’s campaign literature.)
On a right-wing radio show in July, Markert said the first six months of Trump’s term were “extremely aggressive” and “exactly what this country needed.” Trump’s “progress has been phenomenal, if not historic,” Markert said.
Asked later by the Colorado Times Recorder if he disagreed with anything Trump has done to date, Markert said, “Not right now, no,” adding that he would have voted yes on the Big Beautiful Bill if he’d been in the Senate.
“It just comes down to two things, security and prosperity for the American people,” he said. “I believe that the administration wants that, and I want that.”
He says his campaign has been well-received so far, and his background as a 30-year Marine Corps veteran with four master’s degrees — who has handled “massive budgets” — is appealing. And the strength of his candidacy, Markert claims, has “perhaps” deterred more Republicans from entering the race.
“What I’m doing here is bringing leadership, integrity, and moral courage to Congress, and I want to be the person who goes in there and steps up,” Markert said, “to make sure all Americans’ lives improve, and they get the support they need from their government. … It’s about service. That’s why I do this. I have no other aspiration than to serve the American people.”
A spokesperson for Hickenlooper said both GOP Senate candidates are in the race to “do Trump’s bidding.”
“From day one, Hick has taken the fight to Donald Trump,” said Justin Lamorte, a spokesperson for Hickenlooper. “He helped block Trump’s attempt to sell off Colorado’s public lands, refused to be stopped from conducting ICE oversight, and is fighting to restore Coloradans’ healthcare coverage and lower costs. It’s no surprise that MAGA Republicans are jumping in the race to do Trump’s bidding, but Hick will keep working to lower prices for working families and won’t stop fighting the MAGA agenda.”
Gov Race Slightly More Winnable?
One reason for the dearth of GOP candidates in the U.S. Senate race — versus the expanding list running for Governor — could be that the gubernatorial race, which will be an open contest with the departure of Gov. Jared Polis, is seen as a “bit more winnable of a statewide race than the Senate seat, because it is held by an incumbent,” said Colorado State University Political Science Prof. Kyle Saunders.
He added that the Democratic gubernatorial candidates face a potentially costly, contested primary, where “strange things can happen.”
Still, citing a clear Democratic advantage in recent polling, a likely Democratic fundraising advantage, and better name recognition for Democrats, Saunders said, “It is a tough row to hoe for Republicans in the state of Colorado in 2025, particularly in statewide elections.”
Markert’s campaign has raised about $90,000, including a $50,000 loan from himself, and Joshi shows no fundraising income, according to Federal Election Commission campaign finance data, which states that Hickenlooper has over $2.5 million in cash-on-hand after raising over $4.5 million.
A Republican has not won a statewide office in Colorado since 2016. Republican Cory Gardner, who was defeated by Hickenlooper, was the last Republican to win a U.S. Senate seat in Colorado. That was in 2014.
Colorado Republicans — along with unaffiliated voters — will select the GOP nominee for the U.S. Senate race in a June primary election. The General Election takes place in November of next year.
CORRECTION 9/18. A quote was initially — and incorrectly — attributed to John Straayer, instead of Saunders.
