Weiser Defeats Marx in Colorado Governor’s Race

Philip Weiser, Colorado’s attorney general, will succeed two-term Gov. Jared Polis after winning the state’s gubernatorial election on November 3. The Associated Press called the race soon after polls closed, with Weiser leading by more than 70 percent in early returns.

Republican Victor Marx, a religious nonprofit leader who had never held elected office, campaigned as an outsider and criticized what he described as one-party rule. He had won a closely contested Republican primary. Early election-night figures showed Weiser ahead of Marx 75.3 percent to 24.7 percent, with 11.6 percent of precincts reporting.

Marx emphasized affordability, crime and government performance. He proposed auditing Medicaid and using zero-based budgeting to identify waste, and said poor forest management was a greater cause of destructive wildfires than human-caused climate change. On abortion, he described himself as “for life” but did not say whether he supported exceptions for rape or incest. Colorado voters added abortion-rights protections to the state constitution in 2024.

Marx also said he would seek Colorado’s share of the Colorado River and designate a water representative within the governor’s office. In October, he was fined $58,000 for state campaign-finance violations.

Weiser has served as attorney general and previously worked in the U.S. Justice Department under the Clinton and Obama administrations. Colorado has voted reliably Democratic in recent years; the last Republican to win a major statewide race was Cory Gardner, in the 2014 Senate election.

Colorado Rejects Marx as Weiser Wins Governor’s Race

Colorado voters elected Philip Weiser governor on November 3, rejecting Republican Victor Marx’s campaign and its uncertainty on abortion rights. The Associated Press called the race soon after polls closed, as early returns gave Weiser a lead of more than 70 percent.

Marx, a religious nonprofit leader who had never held elected office, presented himself as an outsider and criticized one-party rule. But on abortion, he would not say whether he supported exceptions for rape or incest, calling himself “for life.” Colorado voters had placed abortion-rights protections in the state constitution in 2024.

His other campaign themes included affordability, crime and government performance. Marx proposed an audit of Medicaid and zero-based budgeting to identify waste. He also argued that forest management, rather than human-caused climate change, was chiefly responsible for destructive wildfires.

Weiser, Colorado’s attorney general, will succeed two-term Democratic Gov. Jared Polis. He previously worked in the U.S. Justice Department under the Clinton and Obama administrations. Marx was fined $58,000 in October for state campaign-finance violations. Colorado’s recent record of Democratic victories continued, with the state’s last Republican winner of a major statewide race being Cory Gardner in the 2014 Senate election.

Colorado Elects Weiser as Democrats Extend Statewide Hold

Colorado elected Democrat Philip Weiser governor on November 3, continuing the state’s pattern of Democratic victories in major statewide races. The Associated Press called the contest soon after polls closed, with early returns putting Weiser more than 70 percent ahead.

Weiser, the state’s attorney general, will replace two-term Gov. Jared Polis. His career includes work in the U.S. Justice Department under the Clinton and Obama administrations and a clerkship with Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Colorado’s last Republican to win a major statewide race was Cory Gardner, who won a Senate seat in 2014.

Republican Victor Marx ran as an outsider, arguing that voters were frustrated with the state’s direction. He focused on affordability, crime and government performance, proposing to audit Medicaid and use zero-based budgeting to find waste. He also said poor forest management was more to blame for destructive wildfires than human-caused climate change.

Marx did not directly answer whether he supported abortion exceptions for rape or incest. Colorado voters enshrined abortion-rights protections in the state constitution in 2024. Marx was fined $58,000 in October for campaign-finance violations. Independent former congressman Greg Lopez also ran.