Victor Marx Defeats Establishment in Colorado GOP Primary
A Republican gubernatorial primary in Colorado concluded with Marine veteran Victor Marx narrowly defeating Barbara Kirkmeyer by fewer than 3,000 votes to face Democrat Phil Weiser in November.
The June 30 primary remained too close to call for several days until final tallies were confirmed Thursday, according to David Zimmermann writing in Washington Examiner. Colorado state Representative Scott Bottoms finished a distant third in the contest.
Victor Marx, an evangelical pastor and military veteran, now advances to face Democratic Attorney General Phil Weiser in November’s general election to replace term-limited Governor Jared Polis. Weiser secured a comfortable victory over Senator Michael Bennet in the Democratic primary late last month.
Divisive Primary Battle
The Republican contest proved contentious, with both Barbara Kirkmeyer and Scott Bottoms declaring before the final count that they would not endorse Marx if he won. The two candidates characterized him as an unqualified fraudster, citing his claim that his stepfather compelled him to kill a person at age seven.
Following his narrow victory, Marx released a three-minute video Thursday thanking supporters and appealing to Republicans who backed his opponents. I just proved it by winning the primary, he stated, addressing those questioning whether political change remains possible.
Kirkmeyer responded to her defeat with a pointed statement reflecting on her campaign while taking aim at her former rival. She expressed hope that Colorado voters would choose wisely in November, adding that she remained proud of her campaign and noting pointedly that she had still haven’t killed anyone.
Congressional Support and General Election Outlook
Representative Lauren Boebert endorsed Marx during the primary campaign, while Representative Gabe Evans congratulated the veteran following his victory. President Donald Trump has not issued an endorsement in the race.
Marx now faces an uphill battle against Weiser in a state that has trended increasingly Democratic in recent election cycles. The general election will determine who succeeds Polis as Colorado’s chief executive.
Bottoms has not publicly commented on the final primary results through his social media channels.
With information from Washington Examiner
