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Victor Marx Wins Republican Primary Election For Colorado Governor

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Victor Marx has become the Republican candidate in Colorado's gubernatorial election this fall, The Associated Press reported on Thursday.

"If you're frustrated, skeptical, or wondering if anything can actually change," Marx said in a video online, "I just proved it by winning the primary."

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He will face off against the Democratic candidate, Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser, vying to replace two-term Gov. Jared Polis (D) in the Nov. 3 election. Marx defeated three other Republican candidates, including State Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer, State House Rep. Scott Bottoms and write-in candidate Kelvin "K-Man" Wimberly, in the June 30 election, as the Colorado Republican Party is marked by messy internal fighting and financial issues.

In a public poll for the race conducted by Freedom IEC last month, Marx took a dramatic lead against the other Republican candidates. His approval rating sat at 59.2%, while Kirkmeyer was at 15.1% and Bottoms was at 6.3%. Nearly 20% were undecided.

Victor Marx, a self-described "high-risk humanitarian," is a Marine veteran and founder of All Things Possible Ministries, which has a goal "to reach people with the gospel of Jesus Christ through outreaches and crusades primarily to youth."

Marx, who was endorsed by Rep. Lauren Boebert (R), is an unconventional candidate, having made numerous eccentric and haunting claims over the years, including that he "hunts demons."

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He has also claimed that, as a child, his stepfather made him behead a cat and kill a man. In a May interview with 9News, he refused to answer whether he'd killed anyone as an adult: "I don't think that's important."

This is Marx's first time running for office, and he has raised substantially more campaign funds than the other Republican candidates. However, CBS News reported that some of that funding appears to be illegal.

Earlier this month, Marx was called a liar by Kirkmeyer and Bottoms at the rather unconventional Republican primary debate, to which he brought his dog, Regan.

Barbara Kirkmeyer, who has been a state senator representing District 23 since 2021, previously served as Weld County Commissioner for 20 years. As commissioner, she was part of a secession effort more than 12 years ago to make 11 Northern Colorado counties America's 51st state. The initiative did not come to fruition, but she previously said she still views it as "successful" because it "made us stronger. It made us better," The Colorado Sun reported in 2022.

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"Colorado is ready for a new direction," Kirkmeyer said at a campaign launch event in September. "It's ready to chart a new path. It's ready for a common-sense conservative leader who will roll up her sleeves, work with people, and deliver real results, not play political games."

The publication Colorado Politics described Kirkmeyer as "the last, best hope for the Colorado GOP."

Bottoms is a state House representative in District 15, a Navy veteran and lead pastor at the Church at Briargate. He is a "good friend" of conservative podcaster Joe Oltmann, who has attacked Polis' Jewish identities, Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser and Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold, and said they should be "arrested, tried and hanged."

Bottoms has argued that Colorado is "too liberal."

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The Colorado Liberty Republicans gave Bottoms a 98 on the local conservative Liberty Scorecard, while Kirkmeyer received a 58. (Marx does not have a score since he isn't a part of the Colorado State Legislature.)

Bottoms' campaign has largely focused on restructuring the Colorado education system in such a way that would give Coloradans more money.

Bottoms has also claimed without evidence that some state lawmakers are running a child *** trafficking ring, and that he would provide more information if he were elected governor.

Colorado has only had one Republican governor in the past 50 years: Bill Owens, who was first elected in 1999.