Victor Marx's LG pick poised to play a key role
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George Markert. Photo: Courtesy of George Markert
Before George Markert agreed to join the Republican ticket as lieutenant governor, he questioned Victor Marx about his controversial past.
What he's saying: Markert, a 54-year-old retired Marine colonel, left convinced Marx is the right person for the job.
- "He actually was very open," Markert told Axios in an exclusive interview. "There's a lot of misinformation pushed around about him."
Why it matters: With Marx's backstory looming over the campaign, Markert is emerging as a key validator for a ticket with two political outsiders in a contest that Republicans haven't won in two decades.
The big picture: Marx interviewed more than a dozen potential running mates before selecting Markert on July 31, saying the state "needs experienced leaders who know how to execute."
- They face Democrat Phil Weiser, the current attorney general, and Jefferson County Commissioner Lesley Dahlkemper, who bring significant experience in state and local government.
State of play: Marx, who lives in Colorado Springs, is poised to give Markert a broad role in the administration if they win in November.
Markert says his extensive background in logistics would put him at the center of the campaign's priorities: affordability, public safety and government accountability.
- He would also work on veterans' issues.
- "He sees me as [a] right-hand man, as the execution arm for his vision," Markert said.
Yes, but: The learning curve may prove substantial since neither Republican candidate has state government experience.
- That's the point, Markert says. “We have not been a part of that bureaucracy that has led Colorado down the wrong path."
Zoom in: Markert, a supporter of President Trump and his America First agenda, is new to Colorado.
- He moved to Colorado from New Orleans in 2023 after retiring from the military.
- He picked Colorado for its quality of life, outdoor opportunities — he's an Ironman triathlete and avid mountain climber — and the chance to establish a permanent home after growing up in a military family and moving throughout his life.
The Broomfield father of two competed for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate but didn't get enough support at the GOP assembly to make the ballot.
The other side: Democrats blasted Marx's pick.
- "Victor Marx could not have made a more toxic pick for lieutenant governor," Colorado Democratic Party chair Shad Murib said in a statement. "George Markert has tied himself so tightly to Trump, his disastrous war in Iran, and to far-right figures like Tom Tancredo."
The bottom line: Markert is the ticket’s argument for stability — and its clearest test of whether Colorado voters will view the candidates' outsider status as an advantage or a risk.