When Experience Must Rise: A Patriot’s Duty in Perilous Times

By Chaz Evanson, Candidate for Governor of Colorado

Operation Iraqi Freedom, 2005, Camp Falujah

The Warning of Samuel Adams. “If ever time should come, when vain and aspiring men shall possess the highest seats in Government, our country will stand in need of its experienced patriots to prevent its ruin.” Samuel Adams wasn’t imagining a far-off threat, he was giving us a prophetic warning. That time is no longer a future possibility. It is now. Here in Colorado, just as in Washington, too many who occupy the highest offices do not serve the people, they serve themselves. They have traded principle for power and courage for convenience. They enforce unconstitutional mandates, embrace open borders, and embolden lawlessness. Meanwhile, those who play by the rules, work hard, raise families, and love their country are left to suffer under the weight of failed leadership.

From Battlefield to Ballot: The Call of Duty Continues. I did not serve twenty years in the United States Marine Corps to come home and watch my state fall into chaos and compromise. I did not lead Marines through war, hardship, and global missions only to retreat when my own people need leadership the most. The battlefield may have changed, but the call of duty has not. The same oath to support and defend the Constitution still binds me. The same commitment to serve others before self still drives me. My military service shaped me, but it didn’t end my mission. It prepared me for it. Colorado doesn’t need another politician. It needs a proven patriot who knows what it means to lead under pressure and stand firm when the stakes are high.

Vain and Aspiring Men: The Rot of Our Modern Government. Today’s political class is a glaring example of what Samuel Adams warned us about. Too many of our so-called leaders are more interested in their next election than your next generation. They govern by press release, rule by emergency order, and campaign on division. They won’t secure our borders, but they’ll seize your freedoms. They reward illegal activity and punish law-abiding citizens. They ignore crime but go after your ability to protect your family. This is not just poor leadership, it is dangerous, deliberate, and devastating. It is the fruit of vanity and ambition unrestrained by virtue or truth.

Experience Matters When It’s the Right Kind. We’re told “experience” means years behind a desk or decades playing the political game. But true experience, the kind Colorado needs now, is the kind earned in the crucible. It’s knowing how to lead when lives are on the line. It’s understanding sacrifice, service, and what it means to make hard calls when there are no easy options. I’ve led Marines into combat zones. I’ve managed logistics across continents. I’ve made decisions where failure wasn’t an option. That’s not theoretical. That’s lived experience, and it matters now more than ever. Because when crisis comes, you don’t need a manager. You need a mission-driven leader who knows how to act.

A Republic in Need of Guardians. Our Republic has always depended on citizens not celebrities. On patriots, not politicians. On men and women willing to answer the call when the hour is late. That time is here. We must rise to defend what remains, restore what has been lost, and reform what’s been corrupted. We need leadership grounded in truth, humility, and the courage to do what is right regardless of popularity or party pressure. I believe in a government that respects its people, honors the Constitution, and operates within its God-given limits. That’s not just a policy position. It’s a moral imperative. And it’s the very heart of this campaign.

Join Me. Stand Up. Rise Again. I am not running for governor to get a title; I’m running to serve. To restore. To protect. I’m running because the system is broken, and the people deserve better. Colorado is not beyond hope, but it is beyond the point of trusting the same voices who got us into this mess. Together, we can flip the script, challenge the establishment, and bring principled, proven leadership back to this state. If you’ve been waiting for someone who speaks the truth, who lives what they say, and who is ready to fight for your family, your freedoms, and your future, here I am.

This isn’t about politics. It’s about preservation. It’s about duty. It’s about the Republic.

Let’s rise, for Colorado, for our children, and for the sacred trust that is still worth fighting for.

“When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn.” Proverbs 29:2

Restore. Reform. Protect. A Veteran. A Patriot. A Servant.