COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — With Election Day right around the corner, Denver7 is working to highlight a number of races appearing on ballots throughout Colorado.
All voters have the chance to make their voice heard in the race to become Colorado's next governor, where one of their options is Republican nominee Victor Marx. Marx sat down for an interview with Denver7 on Wednesday and discussed a number of topics.
Denver7 conducted a similar conversation with Attorney General Phil Weiser, the Democratic candidate, last week.
Election day is Nov. 3.
Watch the full interview with Victor Marx below:
Note: The following transcript was edited for clarity
Colette Bordelon: Let's start with a question that I've asked several other Republicans throughout this entire election cycle, but it'll be specific to your race. Colorado has not elected a Republican governor for more than two decades now. What makes you believe the state is ready for one now?
Victor Marx: Well, it's time. We're at a place in Colorado's history that actually, it's more than an election; it's a crisis point. The pain point people feel from the Western Slope to inner city — I've traveled the state, over 600 events related to the campaign, closer to 700 now — I've heard the pain point of people; they're done with politics as normal, and they're done with the one-party rule. Look, I don't hate Democrats. That's where some people in the Republican Party, they're like, you need to hate them more. I go out. I tend to try not to hate anybody, but a one-party rule has brought us to this place where the state is not affordable, and it's certainly not safe. It's time to hold people accountable. So, the timing is just right for me to win.
Colette Bordelon: Your past includes some ministry work.
Victor Marx: Yep.
Colette Bordelon: What is your stance on the separation of church and state?
Victor Marx: Great question. Well, if you look at it in the context of why it's such an issue, I think people misunderstand it. The separation of church and state is not to keep people of faith out of the public domain, politics. It's to keep the government out of people's faith. That's what it was intended for. I had an atheist walk up to me. I have two good little stories about atheists. One walked up to me. He goes, "You need to stop talking about God so much." I said, "Well, sir, that's my First Amendment. I choose to believe." He goes, "Well, you need keep it out of politics," and he was a Republican. And I go, "Well," I said, "Do you know what our state motto is?" And he goes, "No." I said, "In Latin, it's Nil Sine Numine, which means nothing without the providence of God." So, I said "it's on our seal." I said, "so I choose to exercise my right to uphold our motto and bring God into this." But yet, I'm not someone that is running to be a minister. I'm running to uphold our constitution, to be here for the people, and protect all faiths. But it was interesting. I had a guy catch me at a Walmart. Go, "Hey, I saw you on the the debate." I said, "You did." He goes, "look, I'm an atheist. I don't have belief like you." He goes, "But I want to tell you why I'm voting for you." I said "Why?" He goes, "In the last one minute of the debate, you actually prayed. You could do anything you want in the closing argument, attack your opponents." He said, "You actually prayed for them and the moderators and for the state to be healed." He said, "That's why." I said, "But why?" He goes, "Any man that holds to his conviction like that on his faith, it's real." And he goes, "That's the character we need in a governor to rule and help people of Colorado. Thank you."
Colette Bordelon: Colorado's last governor, the one who will be leaving office, Governor Jared Polis, will have held that seat for eight years. Curious, what would you give his time in office if you had to give it a letter grade?
Victor Marx: Well, I think it speaks for itself. The state is not better from when he first came in. I think he did a couple of good things, but I look at it at the sum total. Our state is not more affordable. Businesses have left. People are considering moving, and you know, over 70% of the people have said they're not sure they can continue to live here. So, I think he did a horrible job in where the state should be compared to where it is, as is my opponent, who is part of that administration, the top cop, Weiser. He is — our state's not safer. We're in the bottom tier of safety, so I do not think they did a great job. Homelessness has increased, fentanyl deaths, you name it, so I'm sure Governor Polis is actually ready to leave office and kind of get on with his life.
Colette Bordelon: Would you say — like a D if you gave him a letter grade? F?
Victor Marx: It would be an F.
Colette Bordelon: Okay. If you had to classify yourself on the scale of a Republican, would you consider yourself falling more in the "Make America Great" ideology, more of a Reagan Republican? How would voters know what kind of Republican you are?
Victor Marx: I'm a Western conservative centrist. So, they've tried to place me in MAGA. I'm like, "I've never worn a hat." I appreciate Trump as a president, I like his leadership in some areas. Others, I don't agree with. That was one of the things that was brought up. "He hasn't endorsed you." I said, "No, he hasn't," and I'm not looking for it. I'm here to help the people of Colorado, and I've seen the dysfunction as an outsider. As an outsider, the dysfunction in politics is beyond what people can imagine, including the Republican Party. To this day, I'm now becoming their choice, even though I want it. But it took people adjusting, and some who just still can't stand me because I'm not MAGA enough... they're leaving the party. They're resigning, or getting out. I think that's a good choice on their behalf. But I'm here to be, not a Republican governor, but a governor for Coloradans.
Colette Bordelon: You mentioned President Donald Trump not listing your name in those endorsements, and you also mentioned — I've heard in response to that you said — "Well, yes, I'm an outsider." If elected to governor, can you afford to be an outsider if then you have to work with both chambers and with lawmakers who might be considered the insiders or the establishment?
Victor Marx: Yeah, well, they're working very hard to keep me out, which I think is why I'm the people's choice, because this is out of control. Again, I say: It's not just an election; it's a movement. But I look forward to working with people who maybe don't agree with me right now because once I'm governor, everything changes, and I will hold people accountable. I'll be very public about those who don't want to help Coloradans. And I believe we can all work together. My life has proved it. I've developed teams. I've worked in many countries. Didn't matter religion, race. It it didn't matter. It's just, "Are you a good person? Are you a naughty person? Do you really want to help folks?" And as a humanitarian, a business leader, that's kind of what I base it on. So, I'm looking forward to working with people who maybe, perhaps right now, don't want me in office or don't agree with me. But if the people elect me, I think folks will be surprised because I tell folks, I go, "I'm not a debater. I'm a negotiator," and that's real world experience right there.
Colette Bordelon: That leads nicely into my next question. Before the primaries, Denver7, The Denver Post, and Colorado Public Radio, we teamed up for a debate where we hosted your primary opponents, State Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer and State Rep. Scott Bottoms. I believe you declined our invitation to debate.
Victor Marx: Yes.
Colette Bordelon: Why is that?
Victor Marx: Well, I've said it from the beginning: Debates don't win elections, and the fact that I'm sitting here as the nominee proves my point. The strategy was different, but I did study all the other candidates, and I really realized none of them had a chance to win the general. And when I looked at the debates and even the forums, that's the Republicans' old playbook, and I just said, "We've only had one Republican governor in 50 years, so I'm not going to do what y'all have done." And it also showed my leadership to take a stand, to think outside of the box, to develop an army of people versus a small group. That's why we did the rallies instead. I've always wanted to reach the people of Colorado to find out what their pain is, and to start putting solutions together and run a campaign differently in order to win. So, the fact that we're sitting here proves that our strategy was correct.
Colette Bordelon: As part of that debate we hosted, we did make Kirkmeyer and Bottoms answer a series of yes or no questions. I hope you oblige me if I ask a few of those to you right now, so we can get your take on these too.
Victor Marx: Well, I'm not a yes and no...
Colette Bordelon: Let's see how you feel about them.
Victor Marx: Okay. All right.
Colette Bordelon: Did Joe Biden win the 2020 presidential election?
Victor Marx: He was certified. That's that.
Colette Bordelon: That's a yes?
Victor Marx: Yeah, I am focused on this. Back there, there's nothing we can do about that. But he was certified.
Colette Bordelon: Is Donald Trump eligible for another term?
Victor Marx: I don't — no.
Colette Bordelon: No. [Confirming Marx's response]
Colette Bordelon: Do you support the dismantling of NCAR, the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder?
Victor Marx: I want to do what's best for Colorado. I know the feds have stepped in to block that. I'd like to learn more about that issue when I'm governor.
Colette Bordelon: And then, if you were governor, would you work to bring Space Command back to Colorado?
Victor Marx: Absolutely, and more. We have a strong economic plan to bring businesses back, both those in the defense industry, tech, strengthen ag, ranchers. This matters and support small businesses all through our state in tourism.
Colette Bordelon: So, that sounds like a yes.
Victor Marx: The whole big thing.
Colette Bordelon: All right. Let's talk about Medicaid. Those costs have exploded in recent years. Experts point to three levers to control that cost. Those are cutting eligibility, cutting coverage, or cutting how much healthcare providers are paid. Which lever would you look at for potential cuts?
Victor Marx: Well, what I've said and what I plan to do, and what we've already started, is one: You have to do a complete audit of Medicaid. It's there to serve vulnerable Coloradans, and we need to protect access, reduce the waste. There is fraud going on because we have people coming to us already who are whistleblowers, and they're saying the amount of money being wasted and the fraud going on. So my goal is to, and I'll tell you, I didn't expect this when I entered the race, but hearing from families all over the state, who their services have been cut. Parents who are the primary caregivers for their children with special needs. Those folks under the Golden Dome cut 50% of their eligible hours. So, the key is to audit it, put right people in the places of leadership. Measure outcomes. Go back to zero-based budgeting, and find out where the fraud is, the waste, and take that money. There'll be so much extra money, I'm confident that we'll be able to put money back into TABOR for people to get refunds, and apply a ton of money for those needing the services that have already been cut.
Colette Bordelon: Would that audit be done using artificial intelligence, or is there a plan for such an audit?
Victor Marx: It's both and both. What I would encourage people to do is go to ColoradoWorksBetter.com. Right now, we've downloaded the budget, the Long Bill, and people will be able to see exactly where their money is being spent. You can put in your zip code, annual salary, the vehicles you own. You'll see where your money's going. The lack of transparency and accountability is what's caused this problem. But we'll correct it.
Colette Bordelon: And then, I am not sure if you read this article posted by The Denver Post, it was a candidate feature on yourself. But in that article, a political science professor said AI is already being used across state government, but he did say there's no way to audit the state out of caseload growth. What would be your response to that?
Victor Marx: Well, I think there's a lot of things that people say that can't be done, but we've not stepped into that place of leadership yet. That's what we specialize in. Just like what I told you, ColoradoWorksBetter.com. That's before I'm even governor. How come it's never been done before? So, I would disagree, but I think we're going to use technology and effective, high integrity leaders to make the difference with that.
Colette Bordelon: We were just talking about this just before you got here. The flooding in Pagosa Springs. We're also seeing more destructive fires and floods every year across Colorado. Is human-caused climate change contributing to that? And how does the state work to address that under your leadership?
Victor Marx: I'd say poor management of our forestry system is more to blame than anything. They have failed to thin. They have failed to, after fires, get everything out of there and clean up. This causes problems — not only future fires, but our water retention system, and of course, water is such a big issue. So I'm confident that putting people in the right places. I just got a text this morning from a dear friend. There's a plan already in place to affect all of this, which I believe will affect positively our insurance rates here, mitigation, forestry threading, the conservation aspect that is based on science, not just kind of wild ideologies. When we are able to do that, and as my friend said, who — he's a subject matter expert, Travis, shout out to you, brother — but you know what? He said all we need is a governor that will be our overwatch to allow us to take care of our state. The problem is, you have people who really don't understand forestry. I went out when one of the fires was happening recently, and met with firefighters that were ready to hop on the helos and bring more. It breaks my heart how much damage, the level of anxiety. Every year people are just going 'Ah!' So again, better leadership in these areas will make a difference.
Colette Bordelon: Would you ever accept mandatory cuts to our allocation of the Colorado River in dry years?
Victor Marx: You know, we've studied the water issue. I'm definitely, I'm actually a water rights holder, and I believe what we should be doing right now is repairing reservoirs while we've been in this drought. I look forward to putting a water liaison in my office, and then looking at where we can actually make the biggest change for the future. And as governor, I'm going to fight for our water rights and protect ranchers and ag folks. I was just down in San Luis Valley. They're terrified, and I think again, it boils down to leadership. So, we'll address everything when it's there, at each point.
Colette Bordelon: It sounds like the fight to ensure that we would not take on mandatory cuts as Coloradans.
Victor Marx: Well, we shouldn't have to. Yeah, from our basin and who we are, we're the headwaters, Colorado. We deserve the water, and we'll continue to work. But you know, I get concerned when the feds step in, start making decisions that could negatively affect us. So, yeah, fighting for our water rights is key with me.
Colette Bordelon: Let's move on to a different kind of policy topic. Your choice for lieutenant governor on Fox31 had said that he would work to rescind the protections for abortion that are codified in the Colorado Constitution. Previous Republican gubernatorial nominees in the last two cycles, those include Walker Stapleton and Heidi Ganahl, they had said that they were anti-abortion, but with exceptions for things like rape or incest. Would you support exceptions on an abortion ban in cases of rape or incest?
Victor Marx: For me, I tell people simply this: [I'm] for life, and as governor, this issue — it's not even really an issue because it's been codified in our constitution. For me, I am for life, and I tell two stories that are reality. One, I was conceived under not great circumstances. I think you read my book, but you know, the night my mom got pregnant, my biological dad shoved rosary beads down her throat, put a pistol to her head. She had three other children, and I suffered as a kid. So, a lot of people would have said, "Wouldn't it have been better that your mother aborted you?" She had that option, but I'm glad she didn't, because the amount of kids and women we've helped over our lifetime, my wife and I, I don't know who would have done it. And in the same token, while being overseas, a young girl — she was 10 years old when she was kidnapped by ISIS, and she had been so brutally raped. By 11, she was pregnant, and her body was not — couldn't carry the baby, and I remember seeing her, she was swelling, she was dying, and I remember they took her to Germany to save her life. After we saved her, and her life was saved, versus both of them dying. So, I'm just for life, all the way around, best we can. I hate the evil, and what I would hope in our state, those watching, is there would be punishments that fit the crime. Right now, do you know that 70% of child rapists get probation in our state? That's under my opponent Phil Weiser's lack of leadership. So, victims must be protected. Life is a beautiful thing, and we must help mothers, young women who get pregnant. Maybe they don't want to. We've got to help them with options, whether it's adoption or support in many years. That's what I'm for. I wish my mother had more support, but I'm proud of her for keeping me.
Colette Bordelon: So, it sounds like no exceptions for rape or incest.
Victor Marx: I am happy with my answer.
Colette Bordelon: Okay. And would you work to rescind those protections? Or it sounds like the protections in the Constitution you would let lie.
Victor Marx: It is what it is, right now.
Colette Bordelon: Let's talk about campaign finances. So, your campaign team was hit with what state officials believe was one of the largest, if not the largest, fine related to excess campaign finances in history. Court documents say you've taken full responsibility for accepting donations over the legal limit. Your team has said the fine will be appealed. Where are you guys at in that process?
[BACKGROUND: The hearing officer found that the Marx Campaign committed 200 violations of the contribution limits and 10 violations of the cash contribution limits, totaling $83,758.32 in excess contributions. For those violations, the hearing officer imposed a total fine of $57,647.16 on the campaign.]
Victor Marx: We're appealing it, and I tell folks, "Man, what an incredible problem to have." First-time candidate. We brought so many people into this political process who've never given — they don't know the rules of giving, and there were so many people that were so generous that they were giving — we got overwhelmed. I think we're up to close to 50,000 individual donations, and where the average is 88 bucks, the limit is $1,450. And so, our team member, bless his heart, he was just trying to get them back as fast as he could. There's a 10-day window, and he wasn't able to get all of them back. There was about 200 of them. Now, they've all been returned, but some over. We've been transparent from the beginning. We never hid anything. We didn't spend that money. We held on to it until we could get it back. So, I think this is a great example of how our state, under one-party rule, will weaponize whatever they can to keep people from coming into positions that would ruin what they've had. So yeah, we, not only is it not fair. I mean, did you know that the Secretary of State — they have their own lawyers, but they actually brought in one of the most expensive lawyer firms in Denver to help build a case to try to justify this excessive ridiculous fines? And currently, it's what's recommended. It's not mandatory right now. That's why we're appealing it, and we believe we'll win.
[BACKGROUND: As of Wednesday, Oct. 28, a spokesperson with the Colorado Secretary of State's (SOS) Office tells Denver7 no exception has been filed by the Marx campaign. Court documents show that exceptions must be filed within 30 days of the initial decision, which was issued on Oct. 2. Extensions can be granted for "good cause."]
Colette Bordelon: And then, did you guys change the way — because I know in the hearing, Gregory Carlson talks about how he knew that some of the checks were over $1,450 — but he would deposit them, knowing that he would refund them. Has he changed that strategy?
Victor Marx: Yes. We, because there's no other, there was no other way to do it. We've since brought in some extra help, and it's been very good.
[BACKGROUND: During the Sept. hearing, Carlson identifies himself as the registered agent for the campaign and claims he takes the excess contributions very seriously. Still, Carlson claimed it was exceedingly difficult to catch them all and acknowledged he told his staff to accept the larger donations, saying they would refund the overages.]
Colette Bordelon: And then, we have seen some articles where critics have claimed that money is being used to enrich yourself. What is your response to that?
Victor Marx: Well, who said that? And what are the facts?
Colette Bordelon: In the Colorado Sun, Mario Nicolais made an allegation that says [if true] he enriched himself based on their desire to help win the governor's office.
Victor Marx: Yeah, I love the word allegations. That's all they are. None of it's true, and it's not factual.
Colette Bordelon: In a prior interview with us, you called claims against you, "propaganda," and said they've been proven false. Which specific claim were you talking about, and what proof are you citing?
Victor Marx: Well, which one are you bringing up? Because the lawyer, Grant Van Der Jagt, who was vehemently against me in the primary, when we came into the general, he actually stopped, did his own investigation of all the allegations that were brought on by an individual who we still pray for her, and he's friends with her, and he ended up putting on social media every allegation was just false or misleading. So, we've always known that. We've never felt any compulsion to fight back or defend ourselves because it's just nonsense.
Colette Bordelon: Well, and I guess I should clarify: I was not mentioning anything specific in this direct question, this was just a quote that you gave to us on the 18th, where you said all the allegations — they've been proven false. I just wanted to check, what were you referencing?
Victor Marx: All of them.
Colette Bordelon: All of them.
Victor Marx: Yeah.
Colette Bordelon: What does that include?
Victor Marx: If you, if anybody goes online, looks up Grant Van Der Jagt, he's listed allegations, you know, and then he's proven how they're false. There's no merit in them, and that's the thing that surprises most about politics, and even, you know, this was coming from a so-called Republican, which she's now leaving the party here, but you know what? You can't stop people. I follow Winston Churchill's approach. He says, "If you stop to pick up a rock and throw at every dog that's barking, you'll never reach your destination." So I appreciate the lawyer going through all this, and it's always been on those who make these accusations, allegations, to prove that what they're trying to prove is true. They can't. They're just allegations. So, we're — it never stopped us in the primary. It won't stop us in the general.
Colette Bordelon: So, that was more of a general statement. That's fair for me to say that was more of a general statement?
Victor Marx: Well, it's factual that every lie and accusation against us he has proven was false, and people can see it online.
Colette Bordelon: And then, this is a topic that has to be difficult to discuss I imagine. You said that as a child, your abusive stepfather forced you to kill a man. How did that affect you?
Victor Marx: Well, how do you think it affected any child?
Colette Bordelon: I'm not sure.
Victor Marx: It was devastating. That was one incident in my young childhood of many that was horrible, horrific. All childhood abuses, whether you're beaten, whether you're betrayed, whether you're... like recently, a mother left her three children while she went to Vegas. And we've seen a slew of children being killed by one of their primary caregivers. For me, child abuse is one of the worst indicators of how a society is. I suffered, but I've never played a victim, and I'm grateful that God redeemed my life, and I did my part to go through counseling. It was over 123 visits in nine months, and I'm thankful for what I call "soul surgeons" — psychologists, psychiatrists — that will help people who've suffered childhood abuse, or anything in their life.
Colette Bordelon: And then, in past interviews, we've watched people press you on what it meant when you said that your actions may have led to the deaths of other people in your adult life. Can you provide any context as to when and where you were referencing in those moments?
Victor Marx: Middle East, on humanitarian missions in combat zones to bring relief to women or children, and we were in the thick of it. It's documented. You can go to our YouTube channel and see. There's videos where, I mean, ISIS is shooting at us. We, the work that we did was very leading edge, and there were times that we came under attack. Our rules of engagement as humanitarians that were oftentimes embedded with the Peshmerga, the Rocky forces. If we came under fire, we had a right to defend ourselves. Which there were times, I returned fire, and what I tell people is, I cannot tell you that I ended someone's life because I didn't go and check. We're not kicking doors in. We're not a direct action. It's just our approach to defending ourselves... I'll go back to the one thing, because I've had people say, "I thought you were doing missionary and humanitarian work. Why are you carrying a weapon?" I just go, "Well, I mean, we have a right to carry a weapon here in the U.S. If somebody attacked us or broke into your home, you defend yourself. That's all we did." So yeah, I hate that war does what it does, but I'm grateful of the lives we saved, and are still keeping in contact with, and that's the bigger story. It's not me trying to defend myself or those who have been entrusted to me, killed. It's the lives we save.
Colette Bordelon: I want to give one wrap-up question if I have the time.
Victor Marx: You do.
Colette Bordelon: Would you have three words to describe what kind of governor you would be if sent to that seat by Coloradans?
Victor Marx: Three words.
Colette Bordelon: Yes, people hate this question or they love it.
Victor Marx: Yeah. I would say measured, prayerful, and intentional to help the people of Colorado.
