January 1, Benghazi Survivor Calls Out Colorado Leadership Failure

Wyatt’s Take

• Benghazi survivor Mark “Oz” Geist sees the same kind of leadership failures in Colorado that cost lives overseas.
• Democrats have run the state for nearly twenty years while fentanyl deaths, car thefts, and trafficking exploded.
• Geist is backing real-deal candidates who put safety and accountability first, not political games.

September 11, 2012, Mark “Oz” Geist fought to defend American lives in Benghazi, Libya. Four Americans died that night. He saw how the decisions of those in power can mean life or death.

When people count on you, leadership is not a slogan. You own your actions, fix what went wrong, and make sure it never happens again. Watching Colorado today, Geist wonders how many elected officials still get that.

His great-grandfather settled Colorado’s eastern plains in 1910. Family has lived there for generations. He left in 1984 for the Marine Corps, served until 1996, then came home to law enforcement. He worked as a deputy sheriff in Teller County and later became chief of police in Fowler.

In those jobs he saw the worst crimes against women and children. He met the families left behind. Those cases are not just headlines. They are real pain.

Democrats have held Colorado’s governor’s office for nearly two decades. Now the state faces fentanyl trafficking, vehicle theft, violent crime, and human trafficking. Families deserve more than talk.

During Phil Weiser’s time as attorney general, fentanyl deaths rose more than 900 percent between 2018 and 2023. Behind every number are parents burying children and children losing parents.

Vehicle theft is another crisis. A stolen car can mean missed work, lost pay, and kids stuck without a ride to school. Interstate 25 has become a corridor for traffickers moving drugs and running other crimes.

A woman who has been attacked should know her case will be taken seriously. A trafficked child deserves justice. Families should not have to wonder if the predators will face consequences.

“Weiser has been attorney general during much of this crisis, and his office has a role in confronting the networks trafficking deadly drugs.”

As Weiser runs for governor, voters have every right to look at his record. What worked, what did not, and what he would do differently.

“Weiser has also made challenging President Donald Trump’s administration a prominent part of his tenure.”

Geist learned 14 leadership traits in the Marines: integrity, courage, decisiveness, dependability, and unselfishness. When things get hard you do not abandon the mission or lower the standard.

He is supporting Victor Marx and George Markert. Marx helps victims of abuse and trafficking. Markert rose to colonel in the Marine Corps. Both bring real experience and a focus on protecting children and holding government accountable.

What happens in Colorado matters beyond its borders. Decisions made by elected officials affect real families. The duty to protect those families does not change from state to state.

Geist’s family has called Colorado home for more than a century. He thinks about the state his children and grandchildren will inherit. They deserve to feel safe, trust the people sworn to protect them, and know their freedoms will be defended.

“I was in Benghazi when four Americans lost their lives. I saw firsthand how decisions made far from the battlefield affected the men fighting for their lives.”

Colorado is his home. His family helped build its history. He cares deeply about its future. Public service should never be about personal ambition. It should be about the people whose lives depend on the decisions you make.

Wyatt Matters

Middle America still believes in accountability, strong borders, and leaders who put the safety of families above political ambition. Colorado’s struggles remind us that the same values that kept us safe overseas are the ones that keep our neighborhoods safe at home.