Voters turned him down for the job of governor in November, but Dan Maes can now say he is once again in the ranks of the employed.
“I started with Integra Telecom this past week as a senior account executive,” said Maes, a Republican who placed third in the governor’s race, behind American Constitution Party candidate Tom Tancredo and winner John Hickenlooper, a Democrat.
Portland, Ore.-based Integra Telecom, with offices in Denver, is a telecommunications carrier and communications equipment sales company that serves 11 states. Maes, who previously worked in the telecommunications and credit reporting industries, said he is handling business-to-business services for the company.
“I felt a return to that industry was good for me,” Maes said, adding that customers are sometimes curious when he tells them his name.
“They’ll say, ‘Is this the Dan Maes?” he said, adding with a chuckle, “and I’ll either confirm or deny it.”
Maes said he avoids discussions of politics with clients, saying, “I just try to emphasize that, hey, we all need to make a living.”
And Maes brushed aside a rumor that he was going to challenge state Rep. Cheri Gerou, R-Evergreen, for her seat.
“Absolutely not,” Maes said. “I have my differences with Cheri Gerou for sure, but I won’t challenge her. I just think she probably leans a little more toward the middle than I do.”
But he wouldn’t rule out running for office again. “Never say never,” he said.
Maes still has a contingent of followers and said he sends out an e-mail to about 2,300 people every 10 days or so. One of those e-mails recently detailed his plans to write a book called “Running Without Cowboy Boots.”
Maes said the manuscript is nearly finished. Has he got a publisher?
“We self-published,” he said, adding that folks wanting copies of the book may be able to use a “print-on-demand” feature.
