Victor Marx wins GOP primary, defeating Barb Kirkmeyer by less than half a percent

After more than a week of waiting for final vote counts, Republican Victor Marx has won the GOP primary, defeating State Senator Barb Kirkmeyer by just 2,515 votes — less than one-half of one percent.

The Associated Press called the race Thursday afternoon after all 64 Colorado counties reported unofficial results. Marx finished with just over 208,000 votes, while Kirkmeyer received nearly 206,000. State Representative Scott Bottoms finished a distant third.

Marx, a first-time candidate and missionary leader from Colorado Springs, now advances to the November general election, where he'll face Democratic Attorney General Phil Weiser. Weiser won his party's primary over U.S. Senator Michael Bennet by nearly 14 percentage points.

In a video posted after the race was called, Marx thanked supporters and said, "The primary is over... now the real mission begins," pledging to make state government more accountable, transparent, and efficient.

Weiser responded by calling Marx "a threat to Colorado's values and future," contrasting his own campaign as one focused on protecting rights and freedoms.

Kirkmeyer congratulated her supporters for the campaign they built but stopped short of endorsing Marx. She called it one of the closest Republican gubernatorial primaries in Colorado history.

Despite the razor-thin margin, the final vote difference appears too large to qualify for an automatic recount under Colorado law.

The November election will determine who succeeds term-limited Governor Jared Polis. Republicans have not won Colorado's governor's office since Bill Owens was re-elected in 2002.