Who is Mark Baisley and what is Baisley running on in the 2026 Colorado Senate race?
Mark Baisley (R) is on the ballot in the 2026 Colorado Senate race, a seat rated Solid D.
Answer from Mary's digital twin. Checkmark turns Green once she confirms it.
Mark Baisley is the Republican candidate for Colorado U.S. Senate. Republican state senator from Woodland Park, in his eighth year in the Colorado legislature; switched from a governor bid to the Senate race in January 2026; unopposed in the GOP primary. Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026.
The race
No betting market for this seat; nonpartisan rating shown
- The seat: Incumbent Democrat John Hickenlooper seeking a second term.
- Rating: Solid/Safe D (Cook, Inside Elections, RCP).
Why Baisley’s race looks the way it does
- Colorado has shifted sharply left over the past decade; forecasters rate the race Solid/Safe D.
- Huge money gap: Hickenlooper raised $10.3M vs Baisley’s ~$139K through June 30, 2026.
- Incumbency and statewide name recognition as a former two-term governor and Denver mayor.
- Republicans have not won a statewide office in Colorado since 2016.
What Baisley is running on
- Candidacy. Says he is better suited to the U.S. Senate than to the governorship, describing it as taking his legislative work to a bigger stage in Washington.
In Baisley’s own words
“My focus is now on the United States Senate, where I frankly feel more suited.”
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