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Bob Marshall (i) Democrat
Residence: Highlands Ranch
Profession: Retired Marine/Attorney
Education: Georgetown U. (BSFS); Cornell Law (JD/LLM); University of San Diego (LLM – Tax)
Experience: USMC Lieutenant Colonel (Iraq Police Transition Team Leader/Afghanistan Governance OIC); Law Clerk – US Court of Appeals Judge Siler; Litigation/Appellate/Tax Attorney; Legislator.
What are your top three priorities, if elected?
1) Good Governance/Government Transparency; 2) Public Safety (major part being mental health given Colorado had 2000 mental health beds in the 1960s – now we have around 700 with 4X the population – these people are on the streets or in the jails and we are making the penal and education systems default mental health providers, neither of whom should be undertaking those roles); 3) Public Education (focusing on teacher pay/compensation/professional respect).
What specific actions would you support to improve affordability for Coloradans, whether aimed at housing costs, tax burdens or other impacts?
Adjusting Colorado’s construction defect laws for condominiums. We are building homes and apartments, and those prices and rents are coming down. But in a large urban area like the Metro Denver/Front Range has become, the first step on homeownership are generally condos which are not being built. And the builders have consistently pointed to the cost of construction liability insurance as they have continued to build single family detached homes and apartments, but shy away from condo construction.
Whether your party is in the majority or minority next year, where do you see actionable common ground with the opposing party?
Potentially on some senior citizen relief like sketched out on the Jury Duty age waiver, good governance by another attempt to address the vacancy appointment issue (almost 30% of the legislature originally obtained seats by a vacancy appointment) and requiring county commissions to actually listen to citizens through required public comment; and direct teacher pay issues. I was the first legislator to move a teacher tax credit bill to offset their out of pocket expenses out of committee. And I did it the first year with bipartisan sponsorship and the second with unanimous bipartisan support in the Finance Committee (but it was left to die in appropriations without action).
A new governor will take office next year. What opportunities are there for legislation or other changes that did not gain traction under Gov. Jared Polis?
A Republican colleague and I ran a very popular Jury Duty Age waiver bill that Governor Polis vetoed. Would have allowed people over the age of 72 to decide on their own to waive out of jury duty. Colorado has mandatory retirement of judges at age 72 and more than 40 states already have age waiver laws for the elderly. It would provide respect and dignity to seniors to allow them to decide when they are no longer capable of travelling to court on their own on a daily basis and sit through a lengthy trial. It passed with essentially veto proof margins showing its popularity and one would hope a new Governor would see its value as not just being a popular bipartisan bit of legislation but nonpartisan.
Nate Marsh Republican
Residence: Highlands Ranch
Profession: Senior Deputy District Attorney
Education: JD – University of Maryland, BA Political Science from TCU
Experience: Colorado prosecutor and father of three focused on safe neighborhoods, responsible governance, and bringing real‑world experience to the legislature.
What are your top three priorities, if elected?
My priorities are straightforward: lowering the cost of living for Colorado families, reducing the cost of doing business, and strengthening public safety. Families are being squeezed by rising housing, groceries, and energy costs, and they deserve leaders focused on practical solutions. Small businesses face growing regulatory and tax burdens that make it harder to hire and grow. As a longtime prosecutor, I know safe communities are the foundation for a strong economy and healthy families. I’ll work to ensure Colorado is affordable, competitive, and secure.
What specific actions would you support to improve affordability for Coloradans, whether aimed at housing costs, tax burdens or other impacts?
Affordability demands real action. I support freezing property tax rates for senior citizens so they can remain in their homes. I support a comprehensive, statewide audit of regulations to identify and eliminate rules that drive up costs for families and small businesses. Colorado has taken limited steps, such as SB24‑137, but those reviews apply only to certain agencies and don’t address the broader regulatory burden. Finally, we must fix permitting delays that make it slower and more expensive to build homes. Reducing these barriers will help make Colorado more affordable.
Whether your party is in the majority or minority next year, where do you see actionable common ground with the opposing party?
I’ve always believed that good policy comes from listening first, and thatap how I intend to work at the Capitol. Being in the minority (and I would be in the minority) means collaboration isn’t optional—itap the only way to get stuff done. I’ve already begun building those relationships; a few weeks ago I talked with a Democratic candidate in Douglas County, and we found real common ground on supporting small businesses. That experience reinforced my approach: focus on shared goals, avoid the grandstanding, and work with anyone committed to making Colorado more affordable and keeping our communities safe.
A new governor will take office next year. What opportunities are there for legislation or other changes that did not gain traction under Gov. Jared Polis?
A new administration always creates opportunities to revisit ideas that haven’t moved in the past. Regardless of who becomes governor, I’ll look for areas where both parties can agree—especially on affordability, regulatory reform, and supporting businesses. Colorado families need relief from rising costs, and a new governor I’m sure will be open to bipartisan efforts to streamline regulations, improve permitting, and reduce barriers to building homes. My focus will be on practical solutions that help people, not political posturing. If there’s a chance to advance good policy, I’ll work with anyone willing to get it done.
