Mark Baisley Launches U.S. Senate Bid, Shifts Focus From Statehouse to Washington

By Shaina Cole | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice

Colorado State Senator Mark Baisley has entered the race for U.S. Senate, ending his bid for governor and refocusing his campaign on federal policy decisions he says are driving affordability pressures and limiting Colorado’s ability to chart its own course.

Baisley described the shift as a move from state-level problem solving to addressing issues he believes now originate in Washington.

“I’m moving from being a state senator to a bigger stage in the United States Senate,” he said.

He said his earlier campaign sharpened his view of where decisions affecting daily life are increasingly being made — and where he believes Colorado needs stronger representation.

Cost of Living and Affordability

Affordability surfaced early in Baisley’s remarks, particularly as it relates to younger Coloradans.

“I’m focused on cost of living and affordability,” he said. “I’m very concerned about how younger folks are able, or not able, to buy their own homes.”

For Baisley, those pressures are not accidental. He tied them directly to federal spending levels.

“I want to focus on government spending being much too large,” he said. “That’s an unnatural insertion into natural law.”

Federal Spending and the Size of Government

Baisley framed inflation as a consequence of government attempting to manage outcomes rather than protect rights.

“When the government steps in and says, ‘I’m going to take a big chunk of this to buy the support of voters,’ that’s the definition of inflation,” he said.

Asked what would change if he were elected to the Senate, Baisley returned to first principles.

“The mission of government is to secure our rights,” he said. “We should spend money on national defense, on law enforcement, and on protecting those rights.”

He cited the Department of Education as an example of federal expansion he believes has moved decision-making away from parents and local communities.

“That agency was created within my lifetime,” Baisley said. “It’s not appropriate for the federal government.”

Healthcare and Market-Based Reform

Baisley argued that healthcare shows how bureaucracy and third-party payment systems inflate costs while interfering with medical judgment.

“Healthcare is extremely expensive, and it also lacks common sense,” he said.

He described injuring his shoulder and being told an MRI was necessary. Instead, his insurance company denied the imaging and required physical therapy first.

“They always deny it,” Baisley said. “That’s just their routine.”

In his case, the surgeon later told him physical therapy on a severely damaged shoulder could have worsened the injury.

Rather than accept that path, Baisley paid for the MRI himself and discovered the cash price was far lower than what insurers were billed.

“They quoted me at four hundred and fifty dollars,” he said. “That was half of what the insurance company would have paid.”

For Baisley, the example illustrates a broader problem. He said insurer-driven treatment paths add layers of cost that raise healthcare prices overall.

“What makes more sense is market forces,” he said. “If people build a health savings account to cover their deductible, they can pay for routine care directly.”

He said insurance should be reserved for high-cost, unpredictable medical events, rather than acting as a gatekeeper for routine diagnostics and care.

Colorado’s Voice in Washington

Baisley said his decision to run is rooted in a belief that Colorado’s interests have not been forcefully represented in Washington.

“Our state is phenomenal,” he said. “We are a unique state that has all the natural resources — the mountains, the rivers, all the outdoor recreation that is so great.”

He pointed to the loss of U.S. Space Command headquarters as an example of missed leadership.

“Our congressional delegation tells me that they urged Senator John Hickenlooper to go to bat to try to help keep space command in Colorado,” Baisley said. “And he did not take up that mantle.”

Baisley said the fallout was immediate: high-skilled jobs left with the decision, and key strategic choices moved elsewhere.

Continuing His Work in the Colorado Senate

Even as he launches a federal campaign, Baisley said he will remain fully engaged in his legislative responsibilities.

“I am addressing with two bills some of the terrible things going on specifically within Jefferson County,” he said. “But it will spread to others.”

One effort focuses on sexual misconduct cases within Jefferson County schools, including 33 staff misconduct cases documented in district records.

“Parents expressed concern to me all the time about being able to trust that when they turn their kids over to public schools, specifically in Jefferson County,” he said.

Another bill targets what he described as the misuse of a law intended to address criminal incompetence.

“That bill is being used highly inappropriately as existing law to let people out of jail, out of custody, who have been arrested for kidnapping, for a variety of felonies,” Baisley said.

“Yet they’re using this law as an excuse to release people back into the community who are dangerous to the community,” he said.

A Jeffersonian Approach

When asked what kind of senator he would be, Baisley framed his answer around constitutional grounding rather than party labels or political branding.

“Prepared,” he said. “And guided by the wisdom of the founders.”

For Baisley, that philosophy is practical, not symbolic. He described it as an approach that emphasizes limits on power, clear separation between branches, and accountability to voters rather than deference to unelected bureaucracies.

“If people complain about my votes, they’ll be complaining about the philosophy of Thomas Jefferson,” Baisley said.

He said Jefferson’s writing continues to shape how he approaches legislation, particularly when it comes to resisting the expansion of executive and agency authority and keeping laws narrow, clear, and restrained.

Baisley said that framework already guides his work in the Colorado State Senate, where he keeps a small statue of Jefferson on his desk as a reminder of the responsibility that comes with legislative power.

“That’s who I would be,” he said. “An originalist.”

In Washington, he said, that outlook would mean restoring Congress’s role in lawmaking, respecting state authority, and keeping government focused on protecting rights rather than managing outcomes.

Looking Ahead

Baisley said the response to his Senate announcement has reinforced his decision to enter the race.

“The support has been overwhelming,” he said.

“This role elevates the work I’ve been doing at the state level,” he said.

“When I’m in Washington, I’ll be reliable,” Baisley said. “And when I’m not there, I’ll be visible and accessible in Colorado.”

Additional information about Baisley’s Senate campaign is available at MarkBaisley.com.