As a political newcomer who both friends and foes say could sell anything, Dan Maes has relied on the charisma and skills he’s honed through years of pitching to propel him forward in the governor’s race, The Denver Post says today in the second of three gubernatorial profiles.

The unlikely Republican nominee speaks well, reads people quickly and cracks jokes effortlessly — not the typical novice on the campaign trail.

Standing on 88-year-old Eunice Dorr’s front porch last month, Maes invoked the name of former President Ronald Reagan and hearkened back to the governorship of John Love, who held no political office before his election.