Editor's note: KUNC is publishing unedited interviews with the Republican, Democratic, and unaffiliated gubernatorial candidates so the public can view their answers in a transparent and unfiltered manner. Their answers may include statements that are not supported by evidence.
Colorado voters will choose a new governor this year, with Gov. Jared Polis term-limited and unable to seek a third term. Ahead of the November 3 general election, KUNC is interviewing the Democratic, Republican and unaffiliated candidates running to replace him.
The final interview in our general-election series is Republican candidate Victor Marx. A Marine veteran and CEO of the religious nonprofit All Things Possible Ministries, Marx is running as a political outsider. KUNC host Marty Lenz spoke with him about affordability, regulating data centers and Flock cameras, and his relationship with establishment Republicans.
Marty Lenz: For many young Coloradans, buying a home, starting a family, even staying in the state feels a bit out of reach. At the same time, rising Medicaid costs are putting more pressure on Colorado's budget. As governor, Mr. Marx, how would you make the state more affordable without shifting more costs onto the residents?
Victor Marx: Well, you know, Colorado families, they don't need another tax or a fee, or government program. They need government to stop making everything more expensive. So I would start with the state budget. I believe we need zero-based budgeting, where agencies actually will justify their spending instead of assuming last year's budget automatically becomes this year's budget, plus more.
I think we have to address the Medicaid cost without abandoning people who genuinely need care. I mean, I've traveled this state. I can't even tell you the number of families, moms and dads, but crying, I mean, looking at me crying for hope, saying our benefits were cut by Medicaid, I'm the primary caregiver of our special needs child. I mean, from little kids to children in their 30s, and they begged, they begged that their benefits wouldn't be cut, but they were cut by 50% in hours.
This is disgusting. While, you know, again, this is mind-boggling. While I saw one individual, a trans, got a breast augmentation paid for by tax dollars, and I'm like, hey, man, you can go get your double D's, but pay for it, champ. You know, you ain't got to put this on Coloradans, and what they're doing is taking away from people who are truly eligible, and that's what breaks my heart.
So, we'll have to address this Medicaid cost without, like I said, abandoning people who genuinely care and need this care. So, the way to do that, we got to eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse, improve outcomes, and make sure taxpayer dollars are actually going toward health care instead of unnecessary treatment or bureaucracy. And, trust me, affordability, it's bigger than taxes — it’s housing, energy, insurance, transportation, regulations are affecting us, and just the cost of doing business. So, my standard is simple, and I've been saying this everywhere: measure the problem, fix what's broken, track the results, and report them to people. That's in my Colorado Works Better plan, and it's on our website, Victor2026.com.
Lenz: Data centers, Flock license plate cameras, they’ve become major points of debate in Colorado. They've been in the news quite a bit. We've covered them quite a bit here at KUNC. What role should the state play in regulating each, and what should remain up to local communities and their standards?
Marx: Well, the state has, and this is such an important topic, the state has a responsibility when issues cross city and county lines, and both of these can. So, we'll start with data centers. I'm not anti-technology, and I'm not anti-growth, but development cannot come at the expense of Colorado's water, electrical grid, agriculture, and, you know, taxpayers. If a company needs enormous amounts of power, water, it needs to prove that capacity exists, and then pay the, you know, the incremental cost. It shouldn't be passed on to taxpayers.
Look, I do support AI centers. I do support AI, and SI — it’s coming. It's all happening pretty fast. So I want Colorado to be a standout in the technology sector, and we'll get companies back by providing an atmosphere where companies want to come, where they want to grow, hire employees, and invest. This is, it's critical.
On Flock cameras, I support law enforcement having the tools they need to keep people safe — if they're tracking a stolen vehicle or helping to catch criminals. But I also have a responsibility to protect our constitutional rights and establish clear rules on how the data is collected, accessed, retained, and shared. You know, one of the big problems with this in the beginning was the back door to the stored data that China had access to. So, I know they're correcting this, but I know a lot of Flock cameras, you know, got canned. You got to think everything through. But who knows? We may have robots in the next four years that help do a lot of stuff. That's why I'm being nice to all my technology, including my toaster.
Lenz: Colorado's next governor is going to have to work with the Trump administration. Can you name an issue where Colorado should cooperate with the federal government, Mr. Marx, and one where the state should push back against the feds and the president?
Marx: It's a great question. First of all, you know, I'll say this: I appreciate some things Trump does, I really do, and there's some things I don't agree with him, but I will cooperate wherever cooperation benefits Coloradans. I mean, public safety, that's an obvious example: fentanyl trafficking, human trafficking, organized crime, border security. That doesn't stop at our state line.
So, if federal agencies want to work with Colorado law enforcement to take dangerous criminals off our streets, my gosh, I'm opening the door. They can't just come in and do whatever they want. It's cooperation, it's accountability.
Now, where I'll push back is when Washington tries to tell Colorado how to govern matters that belong to Coloradans under our constitution and our laws. That's what I just go, yep, that's not going to happen. I am going to be a governor who fights Washington, but not just for headlines, because I'm not a politician. Man, am I learning a lot, but I'm not going to be a politician that bows to — I mean, I don't think I'm ever going to be a politician, quite honestly. I said I'll be a statesman, but I won't be a governor who bows to Washington either. My loyalty is to Colorado, to our folks. But I'll cooperate when it helps. We should, but I'll stand my ground when it doesn't.
Lenz: Final question, and this kind of pivots off where you were going with that — you’ve built your campaign as a political outsider, how do you plan to appeal to so-called establishment Republicans who might still have doubts and bring the party together before November? And then, also on that issue, Mr. Marx, are you surprised that you're actually the nominee of the party for governor for Colorado?
Marx: That's a great question. The answer is I'm not surprised. I felt very confident I was going to win. I mean, from the day I announced, because I would have never entered the race if I couldn't win. We did a lot of, I would say, analysis beforehand. I studied and looked at every candidate — there was over 20 — and, you know, it boiled down to a top two or three for me, and the biggest problem is I knew they couldn't win the general. So, as far as, you know, I'm still in the doghouse with some of the Republican establishment, and quite honestly, I don't give a flying squirrel tail. I just don't. My only goal is to win, to be the governor for the people. I never bow down. I didn't kiss the ring of the establishment.
When people say, how are you going to reach unaffiliates? My gosh, the unaffiliates have been coming to us from the beginning, because they knew — alright, he's running on the Republican ticket, but he is not, he’s not the Republican golden boy. He's just an outsider who's a disruptor, a Marine, a proven leader, forged in fire. And I've done real-life work, you know, for these past 50 years, because I think when I was 10, I had my first business polishing shoes, washing cars, mowing lawns.
But you know, look, it's just time for change, and I am excited to say — I attended an event just the other night, bunch of Republican big-money establishment folks, and they quickly realized, oh, he is not playing by the rules, and I told them, what do y'all want? I'm here to win because of the problems Colorado has in affordability, safety, and holding people accountable, and then guess what? They pivot then.
People who said they wouldn't give me any money, you know, I was this or that, they’ve changed their mind — because, one, I just want to give a shout-out to a lawyer. Not all lawyers are bad, but man, some are… may have education, but they're dumber than a bag of rocks. His name is Grant Van Der Jagt, and he took the time; he was not for me in the primary, and he took the time to investigate all the, you know, slander, accusations, all that political nastiness. Folks, he proved it all wrong. It was all false, and I didn't feel like I had to defend myself because we know what’s true.
But the people are coming to us. And how about Democrats? Folks told me, oh, you’ll never reach the Democrats. Then why did they hold a fundraiser for me in downtown Denver in a hotel that she owned and invited all these business folks who are Democrats and unaffiliates? When I walked in, of course I knew this, I said, hey, are y'all going to tar and feather me? Let's just get it right on out. They laughed. They said, no, they just said, Mr. Marx, doing business in Denver is untenable. It's not sustainable. We can't continue at this decline of the state and business. So, I presented my plan, some policies, and about 70% of that room flipped for me.
Look, I know my opponent, Phil [Weiser], is nervous because they are coming at me like rabid bats on crack, and they're trying everything, and I just laugh. Watch, I'm gonna post a video today that just absolutely black-eyes Phil and his media maiden Kyle [Clark], trying to accuse me of saying something I didn't — these guys, it's unbelievable. But I'll just say this: I love what we're doing. I've spoken over 200 times, well over 200 times, and I just want to be a governor for the people, not a party. I love bringing hope to Coloradans. I don't care if they're ranchers, ag, you know, in Commerce City, or Five Points, or Sterling, or up in Aspen where I just was. People deserve better, and we can do better.
