Kirkmeyer carries slight edge over Marx in Republican primary for governor, as race remains too close to call
The winner of the GOP primary will face an uphill battle in November’s general election
Bottoms and Marx photos courtesy of campaigns, Kirkmeyer photo by Robert Tann/Summit Daily News
State Sen. Barb Kirkmeyer, a longtime Colorado politician with decades of experience in state and local government, has a slight lead over her two Republican opponents in the GOP primary for Colorado governor.
Results as of Wednesday at 7 a.m. show Kirkmeyer leading nonprofit ministry leader Victor Marx by around 1,356 votes in Tuesday’s primary election. Kirkmeyer and Marx were each carrying around 39% of the vote, while State Rep. Scott Bottoms had 20%, according to preliminary results from the Colorado Secretary of State’s Office. AP News estimated that 88% of the votes had been counted as the race remained too close to call.
Kirkemyer focused much of her campaign for governor on experience, framing herself against Marx and Bottoms as a proven conservative leader with a strong legislative record. Marx has positioned himself as an anti-establishment political newcomer willing to take on the status quo, something he said resonated with voters and helped propel his campaign.
The winner of the Republican primary will face an uphill battle in November’s general election, taking on Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser, who won the Democratic primary on Tuesday against three-term U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet. Colorado hasn’t elected a Republican governor since Bill Owens in 2002, with the state’s electorate continuing to shift more blue in the years since.
Kirkmeyer’s lead in the GOP primary election results comes despite underperforming Marx in fundraising and spending. Marx, who was also shown to be the race’s frontrunner in a poll commissioned by a super PAC supporting his campaign, raised $2,926,865 and spent $2,759,157 as of June 29, according to filings with the secretary of state.
He was also aided by two super PACs, Victory for Colorado, which raised and spent $133,924, and Freedom IEC, which raised $502,930 and spent $481,372.
In comparison, Kirkemyer raised $655,232 and spent $654,922. She was also supported by a super PAC, Colorado Strong, which spent $343,716 to boost her campaign. Bottoms, who did not have any super PAC support, raised $240,498 and spent $235,466.
Regional reporter Ryan Spencer contributed to this article.
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