He served one term as a state senator, but decided not to run for re-election in 2002 after redistricting moved his base of Flagstaff to a primarily Democratic district.
Continuing to disagree with the Republicans over the issues of the Iraq War, which he opposed, in 2005 Verkamp joined the Democrats.
[2] He filed to run in 2006 as a Democrat for the United States Senate from Arizona,[3] but was late and failed to qualify for the primary.
His family has operated a store at the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park for three generations, since 1906.
[2] An opponent of the Iraq War, which started in 2003, and a supporter of single-payer health care, Verkamp in December 2005 left the Republican Party over those issues.
[2][3] As Verkamp was a late entry in the race, he did not gather enough petition signatures to qualify for the September 12 primary election ballot.