July 08, 2025 04:31 PM UTC

Defrocked Doc Janak Joshi Jumps Into 2026 U.S. Senate Race

•  
• by: Colorado Pols

As Ernest Luning obligingly reports for the Colorado Springs Gazette, a Republican you may have heard of, though you’d be excused if you hadn’t, has filed to run for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate to face incumbent Sen. John Hickenlooper in November of 2026.

Though we’d be surprised if perennial loser and former state Rep. Janak “Dr. Nick” Joshi ends up being the nominee, it’s not totally out of the question:

Known for his unrelentingly conservative approach during his three terms as a state lawmaker from Colorado Springs in the last decade, Joshi sought the GOP nomination last year in the 8th Congressional District. Despite winning an endorsement from the state Republican Party, Joshi lost the primary by an overwhelming margin to Republican state lawmaker Gabe Evans, who went on to unseat Democratic incumbent Yadira Caraveo in November.

Joshi confirmed to Colorado Politics that he created a campaign committee for the Senate seat with the Federal Election Commission but declined to comment further, saying he’ll discuss his candidacy when he formally launches his run.

Based on his unsuccessful record seeking higher office and often colorfully wacky comments that endear Joshi in a manner best described as pitiable, it’s very difficult to imagine Joshi actually winning the primary for U.S. Senate. The closest parallel we can think of would be the 2016 nomination of Darryl Glenn by Colorado Republicans to face incumbent Sen. Michael Bennet, which in all but formality was a concession of the race before it began. If Republicans are unable to recruit a qualified opponent to challenge the popular incumbent Sen. Hickenlooper, the task of losing could fall to a placeholder like Joshi with nothing careerwise left to lose.

Joshi is a former physician. He voluntarily surrendered his medical license in 2008, a year after the state suspended his license following his admission of “unprofessional conduct” in the care of a 76-year-old patient.

Whatever else there is to say about Janak Joshi, and there’s not much good, he has neither a career nor shame to slow his roll.