Republican Colorado governor nominee Victor Marx selects George Markert as running mate
Republican Colorado gubernatorial nominee Victor Marx has selected George Markert as his lieutenant-governor running mate, completing the GOP ticket for the 2026 general election.
Marx announced the selection Friday, July 31, 2026. Markert, a Broomfield resident, is a fellow Marine veteran and a political newcomer.
The choice sets Marx and Markert against Democratic gubernatorial nominee Phil Weiser and Weiser’s running mate, Lesley Dahlkemper, in the statewide contest. The announcement identifies the Republican ticket but does not mean Marx and Markert have been elected; the general election remains ahead.
Markert’s background
Markert moved to Colorado about three years before the July 31 announcement, after retiring from a 30-year Marine Corps career. Marx highlighted his running mate’s experience in logistics, public safety, infrastructure and budgeting.
Those areas were cited as experience Marx considered in making the pick. The available reporting did not detail specific policy proposals or commitments from the ticket related to logistics, public safety, infrastructure or budgeting.
The source also identifies Markert as a political newcomer. It references a prior unsuccessful U.S. Senate campaign, but does not provide independently detailed information about that campaign.
Marx frames pick as governing decision
Marx said he chose Markert after months of interviews. He described selecting a running mate as the first major decision involving a potential Marx administration.
That description presents Markert as a prospective partner in a future administration if the Republican ticket wins. It is a campaign and potential-government decision, rather than an appointment to an existing state office.
The selection gives the Republican gubernatorial campaign a full statewide ticket as it heads into its contest with Weiser and Dahlkemper. The available reporting does not establish the selection’s electoral effect or indicate voter support for either ticket.
Debate terms have not been settled
Marx has said he would participate in one debate with Weiser, but only on the condition that there be no moderator. That is a stated proposal and condition from Marx, not a confirmed debate agreement.
No formal date for a gubernatorial debate was specified in the available reporting. It also remains unclear whether Markert and Dahlkemper, the lieutenant-governor candidates, will hold a debate of their own.
The next known stage is the general-election campaign between the Republican and Democratic tickets. Whether Marx’s proposed debate terms are accepted, whether a gubernatorial debate is scheduled and whether the running mates debate have not been established.