Colorado’s Republican primary for governor remains too close to call, with state Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer holding a razor-thin lead over ministry leader Victor Marx as of early Wednesday morning, July 1, 2026. With nearly 90 percent of votes tallied, Kirkmeyer had 40.0 percent of the vote to Marx’s 39.65 percent—a margin of fewer than 1,800 votes out of 461,000 cast, representing less than half a percent, according to Colorado Public Radio. State Rep. Scott Bottoms finished third with 20.41 percent.
The extraordinarily tight race sets up a potential recount and has left both candidates uncertain about the outcome. Marx told supporters before 10 p.m. on election night that he believed the contest was “headed to a recount,” according to Colorado Public Radio. “It’s going to come down to lawyers or a recount and it is what it is,” he said.
Kirkmeyer, 67, ran as the establishment Republican choice, securing endorsements from former Gov. Bill Owens and U.S. Rep. Gabe Evans. She spent much of the campaign highlighting her experience in the state legislature and as a Weld County commissioner, contrasting her record with Marx’s status as a political newcomer. Yet her fundraising lagged significantly: she raised $629,544 in contributions compared to Marx’s $2.8 million, which he amassed from more than 21,000 donors, according to Colorado Public Radio.
Marx, a 60-year-old Marine veteran and founder of All Things Possible Ministries based in Colorado Springs, entered the race as a political unknown outside Christian and podcasting circles. He leveraged a substantial social media following—about 3 million followers across platforms—and spent much of the year campaigning while Kirkmeyer and Bottoms worked at the State Capitol through May. Marx’s campaign emphasized his leadership style and religious messaging more than detailed policy proposals.
The race tightened dramatically as votes came in from across the state. At 10:30 p.m. on election night, Kirkmeyer held 41 percent to Marx’s 39 percent, but Marx steadily closed the gap through the evening and into the morning count. Marx blamed Bottoms for staying in the race, saying the Colorado Springs representative split the conservative vote and hurt both him and Kirkmeyer. “He couldn’t win, but he stayed in and he was worried about me being the spoiler. He ended up being the spoiler,” Marx said, according to Colorado Public Radio.
Kirkmeyer raised questions about Marx’s fitness for office in the campaign’s final weeks, particularly after he refused to answer a question from 9News anchor Kyle Clark about how many people he has killed—a moment that went viral and drew criticism on late-night television. Marx has claimed a controversial personal history, including an assertion that he was forced to kill a man in Mississippi at age seven, though local law enforcement there reported no such homicide, according to Colorado Public Radio.
The winner will face Democratic Attorney General Phil Weiser, who handily won the Democratic primary, in the November general election. Republicans have not won a statewide race in Colorado since 2016, and the last GOP governor was Bill Owens, who served from 1999 to 2007. The 2022 GOP gubernatorial candidate lost by nearly 20 percentage points, according to The Colorado Sun.
Sources
- Colorado Public Radio — primary election results, vote totals, fundraising figures, Marx and Kirkmeyer statements, candidate backgrounds
- The Colorado Sun — vote percentages at 10:30 p.m., candidate profiles, endorsements, November general election opponent, historical context on Colorado Republican statewide races
