Marshall Jennings

Lachlan Jennings

Aubrey Jennings Jackson

Activist

**Marshall Ewan Jennings** (September 24, 1948 - May 1, 2021) was an American politician, diplomat and activist who served as the 68th United States secretary of state from 2013 to 2017, under President Benjamin Wright. He was the Democratic nominee for President of the United States in 2004, losing to incumbent Leonard Peterson. Jennings also served as the 40th governor of Colorado from 1999 to 2007, a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1975 to 1999 and the House Minority Leader from 1995 to 1999.

Jennings graduated from Colorado State University with a PhD in political science. He successfully ran for Congress in 1974, becoming, at the age of 26, one of the youngest congresspeople. He represented Colorado's 1st congressional district for twelve full terms and was House Minority Leader from 1995 to 1999. In 1998, he won the Democratic nomination for governor of Colorado and ultimately won the election against Republican Bill Owens.

As governor, Jennings oversaw the partial ban of all firearms and the expansion of abortion rights in Colorado. He also expanded Social Security and implemented a carbon tax on all individuals and corporations. He made a run for president in 2004 and won the Democratic nomination, selecting U.S. representative Madison Lane as his running mate, with the latter becoming the second woman on a major party presidential ticket. However, polling showed incumbent Leonard Peterson well ahead of Governor Jennings throughout the election and the race was ultimately called for Peterson. Jennings refused to concede the race, and up to the point of his death, had still not done so.

President Benjamin Wright was re-elected to a second term in 2012. He nominated Jennings as Secretary of State to succeed outgoing Lynne Crompton. Jennings worked with Wright to support Israel in the Israel-Palestine conflict and expanded the usage of the military in the War in Afghanistan. As Wright's term drew to a close, Jennings ran for president again, but the Democratic nomination was ultimately won by U.S. Senator Edwin McIver. In 2020, at the age of seventy-two, he attempted another run, but failed to win the nomination over former Vice President Nicholas Redden.

In the aftermath of the 2020 United States presidential election, the country and its political parties were divided over who actually won the election. Media outlets called the election for Redden over incumbent president Mark Chamberlain, although the latter and his allies refused to recognise the legitimacy of Redden's victory due to allegations of widespread electoral fraud and launched a nationwide legal effort to overturn the results, which were 315-223 in favour of Redden. On January 6, 2021, the day Congress was to certify the results, the Chamberlain campaign ultimately proved fraud on the Democrats' behalf in the Chamberlain v. Redden case and Redden, Wright and others were arrested, including Jennings. Members of Silence were sentenced to death or life imprisonment at Guantánamo Bay Detention Camp in Cuba. Jennings was executed on May 1, 2021, along with Silence-affiliated members of Congress and other notable politicians.