Colorado Republicans have tried to focus their post-Primary Election narrative on branding all Democrats as socialists and/or communists, assisted in part by national media outlets lazily (and incorrectly) labeling last week’s results as a one big victory for progressive insurgents. Lost in that discussion is the fact that Republicans answered an important question of their own in Colorado.
As former Colorado Republican Party Chair Dick Wadhams told The Denver Post in mid-June:
This governor’s race is going to help answer the question, ‘Is this party serious or not?'”
The answer is a resounding NOPE.
Colorado Republicans have decided to go with Cajun Karate Master Victor Marx as their nominee for Governor in 2026. While the outcome is not official yet, Marx is leading State Sen. Barb Kirkmeyer by about 2,000 votes — more than enough for Marx to survive any recount efforts.
But the triumph of Marx is only part of the story of woe for Colorado Republicans. Together, Marx and State Rep. Scott “Rock” Bottoms pulled in 61% of the vote in the Republican Primary. In other words, 6 out of 10 Colorado voters who cast a ballot in the Republican Primary for Governor said, I’d like a complete lunatic at the top of the ticket in 2026.
As Wadhams told CBS4 Denver before the Primary Election:
Wadhams says if Marx or Bottoms win, it’s game over for Republicans. Marx has said he has had homicidal and suicidal thoughts and has killed people but won’t say how many, and Bottoms claims without evidence there’s a pedophile ring at the Colorado State Capitol…
…”Even though we have this outstanding candidate with Barb Kirkmeyer, those two guys make the Republican Party look stupid,” said Wadhams. [Pols emphasis]
Look, Kirkmeyer was absolutely NOT an “outstanding candidate,” but she was objectively less objectionable than Marx or Bottoms. Wadhams is correct that Bottoms and Marx make the Republican Party look stupid — particularly when the two of them combined to get 61% of the vote. Marx and Bottoms are the Colorado Republican Party; someone like Kirkmeyer is the outlier.
David Willson. The extra ‘L’ is for the Colorado Republican Party.
Problems for Republicans aren’t limited to the race for Governor, however. David Willson, once an attorney for disgraced former Mesa County Clerk and Recorder Tina Peters, received 40% of the vote in the Republican Primary for Attorney General. Yes, El Paso County District Attorney Michael Allen won the GOP nomination easily with 60% of the vote, but 4 out of 10 Republicans chose Willson even though he basically did nothing to make the case for himself. Willson raised just a few thousand dollars and didn’t even officially file as a candidate until April 13. How many of the 191,000 people who voted for Willson even knew who he was?
Oh, and don’t forget that the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate, Mark Baisley, began the 2026 election cycle as the first Republican candidate for Governor. Baisley is the GOP’s candidate for Senate because he had no chance of beating out Marx or Bottoms in the race for Governor.
Colorado Democrats have a bit of a rift between factions in 2026, but things could be so much worse. The Colorado Republican Party is where electoral hope goes to die.
July 07, 2026 12:37 PM UTC
Colorado Republicans have tried to focus their post-Primary Election narrative on branding all Democrats as 
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