Victor Marx won Colorado’s Republican primary for governor on Thursday, edging out state Sen. Barb Kirkmeyer to become the GOP’s nominee for the November general election. The Associated Press called the race late Thursday afternoon, nearly nine days after polls closed on June 30, with Marx leading 39.9% to Kirkmeyer’s 39.4%, according to AP data, with 99% of ballots counted.
Marx, a first-time candidate and nonprofit leader whose controversial personal history has drawn intense scrutiny, had taken his first narrow lead over Kirkmeyer the day after the primary and never relinquished it. As of Thursday afternoon, he led by 2,515 votes with about 522,000 ballots cast, according to The Denver Post. State Rep. Scott Bottoms finished a distant third with 20.8% of the vote.
The victory marks a remarkable result for the embattled Colorado GOP. Marx entered the race last fall with no political profile and no experience as a candidate, yet he rode an unconventional campaign to fundraising dominance and front-runner status. He spent heavily on direct mailers and avoided nearly every debate, instead building his campaign through personality-driven content and social media, according to The Denver Post.
Kirkmeyer, a veteran lawmaker and former Weld County commissioner, had jumped to an early advantage on the strength of early ballot returns. But as Election Day votes began to filter in, her lead thinned and collapsed. Within 48 hours of polls closing, with few ballots left to count in her Front Range strongholds, her path to victory had vanished. Marx performed strongly among Election Day voters—those more conservative and skeptical of mail-in balloting—while also winning ruby-red El Paso County and picking up enough support on the Front Range to edge Kirkmeyer, The Denver Post reported.
Marx will next face Democratic Attorney General Phil Weiser in the November general election. Weiser won the Democratic primary on June 30, defeating U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet. The general election represents a steep climb for Marx: no Republican has been elected to Colorado’s governor’s office in more than 20 years, since Bill Owens in 2002. According to The Denver Post, Weiser appears heavily favored to continue Democrats’ electoral dominance in the state.
Marx is a former Marine and founder of All Things Possible Ministries, a Christian nonprofit based in Colorado Springs. According to The Denver Post, the nonprofit’s annual revenue had surpassed $7.5 million by 2024, and Marx said the group now primarily works to help law enforcement. The Denver Post also reported that Marx’s personal history—including claims that he killed a man at age 7, was involved in “high-risk humanitarian” operations globally, and could free people from demonic possession—drew intense scrutiny and national attention.
In a statement Thursday, Weiser said Marx’s “views and style are far out of step with Coloradans, and his nomination for governor is a threat to our state’s values and our future.” Kirkmeyer and Bottoms both said they would not back Marx in the general election, according to The Denver Post.
Sources
- The Denver Post — primary results, Marx’s narrow margin, Kirkmeyer’s collapse, voting patterns, Marx’s background and nonprofit, candidate statements, Republican electoral history
- Colorado Public Radio — Marx’s primary win, Weiser as Democratic nominee, general election matchup
- The Colorado Sun — primary coverage and results
- Associated Press — final vote totals and percentages, race call
