Mark Baisley becomes second Republican state lawmaker to enter Colorado’s 2026 race for governor ...Middle East

The list of Republicans aiming for Colorado’s top office is growing.

Two current statehouse Republicans have officially entered the race for governor in 2026, when Democratic Gov. Jared Polis is term limited.

Colorado has not elected a Republican governor since Bill Owens handily defeated a Democrat in 2002. 

This story was produced as part of the Colorado Capitol News Alliance. It first appeared at cpr.org.

Sen. Mark Baisley of Wooland Park said the political left has tightened its grip on the Colorado community to pass radical bills, some of which are “blatantly unconstitutional.” 

“The state government has taken on an attitude of micromanaging the people’s behavior rather than respecting and empowering ‘We The People’” he sent in a text message to CPR News.

Baisley said his campaign will focus on economic opportunity, education and safety. 

“Working with innovative government and industry leadership, we have managed to make several meaningful accomplishments in bringing advanced technology and manufacturing to the state. We may even land the competition to host the coveted Sundance Film Festival. I have spent much of my energies working with education institutions towards preparing students to step up to those good paying jobs.”

Rep. Scott Bottoms of Colorado Springs filed paperwork with the Colorado Secretary of State’s Office last month to launch his bid. 

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Scott Bottoms, Republican state representative, will run for Colorado governor in 2026

Bottoms is one of the most conservative members of the legislature. He has embraced election conspiracies and opposed efforts to protect and expand the rights of transgender people.

The second-term lawmaker is a pastor and Navy veteran. He is one of the most conservative members of the legislature and at times butts heads with Democrats on issues of free speech and decorum in the chamber. This session, he’s introduced bills to make it a Class 2 felony to help an out-of-state minor come to Colorado for gender-affirming care and to ban commercial insect production for human consumption. Both were defeated in their first hearings.

Bottoms and Baisley are both sponsors of a bill this year that would have made it harder for medical professionals who provide gender affirming care to minors to get medical malpractice insurance. Democrats defeated that proposal. The two also worked together on the creation of an ‘In God We Trust’ license plate option which became law in 2023.

For the most part, Baisley has primarily focused on business and technology during his time at the Capitol. He previously served in the House and now sits on the Senate’s Business, Labor and Technology and the Local Government and Housing committees, as well as the General Assembly’s and Joint Technology Committee. 

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He’s also been working with Democrats on the AI task force that was set up to help implement Colorado’s first-in-the-nation law aimed at preventing and reducing discriminatory AI systems in key decisions that impact people’s lives in areas like housing and education. 

Bottoms sits on the Appropriations Committee and the State, Civic, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee. 

This story was produced by the Capitol News Alliance, a collaboration between KUNC News, Colorado Public Radio, Rocky Mountain PBS and The Colorado Sun, and shared with Rocky Mountain Community Radio and other news organizations across the state. Funding for the Alliance is provided in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

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