Victor Marx projected to win Republican primary for Colorado governor, goes on attack against nominee Phil Weiser
Victor Marx is projected to win what may be the closest Republican primary for Governor in Colorado history. The Associated Press called the race late Thursday afternoon.
Marx, who runs a ministry in southern Colorado, was leading State Senator Barb Kirkmeyer by about 2,500 votes with only a handful of counties still processing ballots. The two candidates would need to be within about a thousand votes of each other to trigger a mandatory recount.
The race has been a nail-biter since the election on June 30.
Kirkmeyer took the lead on election night, but as votes trickled in over the days that followed, the race flipped. Still, it was too close to call with overseas and military votes still coming in, and thousands of ballots not counted due to missing signatures or signatures that didn't match those on file.
Voters had until midnight Wednesday to fix their signatures. Kirkmeyer's campaign deployed dozens of volunteers to help track down those voters, but in the end they fell short.
Kirkmeyer thanked her volunteers, supporters, and Colorado for what she called "an honor of a lifetime," saying, "Together, we offered a clear vision for the future of the Colorado Republican Party, one rooted in common sense, hard work, affordability, and the values that made Colorado the best place to live, work, and raise a family. I'm grateful for every voter who placed their trust in us. Now, the voters will make the final decision in November, and I hope they choose the path that is best for Colorado."
Kirkmeyer and State Rep. Scott Bottoms, who came in a distant third in the race, have both said they will not endorse Marx for governor. Kirkmeyer says she's also worried Marx will hurt Colorado Republicans in other races this year.
Marx wasted no time taking a victory lap. He released a video on social media asking for support from those who didn't vote for him and an email to those who did, asking for money.
The video made no mention of Kirkmeyer and Bottoms.
Instead, Marx went after Democratic nominee Phil Weiser: "Phil Weiser, he's a smart fellow, but he represents the current system because he is part of it. And that current system has made Colorado more expensive, less safe and harder for regular families to trust government. In order to change this, we must win."
Winning won't be easy. Coloradans haven't elected a Republican governor since Bill Owens 20 years ago. He is the only Republican to hold the office in 50 years.
