Colorado’s Republican governor primary: Where Kirkmeyer and Bottoms stand, and Marx stays silent

By RMV Editorial Board | Rocky Mountain Voice

Three candidates will appear on Colorado’s Republican primary ballot for governor on June 30. Two of them answered questions from Rocky Mountain Voice this month. One did not.

State Sen. Barb Kirkmeyer and State Rep. Scott Bottoms each responded to questions drawn from reader submissions and issues facing Republican primary voters.

RMV contacted the Marx campaign repeatedly. RMV founder Heidi Ganahl followed up personally and extended his deadline by an additional day. He still did not respond.

Bottoms won the top line at assembly with 45 percent of delegate votes. Marx qualified with 39 percent after also filing petition signatures, which lowered his assembly threshold. Kirkmeyer qualified through petition alone, submitting more than 21,000 signatures and skipping the assembly entirely.

The Republican who wins the primary will face either U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet or Attorney General Phil Weiser in November, along with former Republican congressman Greg Lopez, who is running as an independent, and a field of other unaffiliated candidates. 

RMV asked all three candidates the same six questions and sent each a separate set of individualized questions. Both sets were drawn from resident submissions, each candidate’s legislative record and public statements. The common questions and responses appear below. 

How we did this: RMV gathered reader questions through a public submission form from April 16 through April 20. Thirty-nine Colorado residents submitted questions. Themes from those submissions shaped the common questions below. All three candidates received the same questions on the same day with a 48-hour response window, later extended at the request of one campaign. Non-responses are noted.

1. Winning message and fundraising

Colorado Republicans have not elected a governor since Bill Owens was re-elected in 2002. The winner of the June 30 primary will face either Michael Bennet or Phil Weiser, both with significant fundraising advantages. What is your winning message to unaffiliated voters — the largest voting bloc in Colorado — and how do you plan to close the fundraising gap between now and November?

Kirkmeyer:

Democrat one-party control has made a mess of our state. We are unaffordable, unsafe, and our roads are crumbling.

Enough is enough.

On day one, Colorado will be “Open for Business.” I’ll start cutting the waste out of the budget.  I’ll begin rolling back the regulations that are driving up the cost of housing, energy, and groceries. And I’ll implement my plan to fix our roads.

I’ve done it before.

I spearheaded the effort for the largest property tax cut in the state’s history.  

I’ve led the way on balancing billion-dollar budgets at the state and local level.

I was instrumental in cutting regulations, protecting the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights, and building the only county highway in the state. I’ve passed bills to allocate $350 million to local law enforcement, provide healthcare access, and protect children, especially the most vulnerable.

I know how to win.

I’ve stopped out-of-control liberals before, and I’ll do it again.

I know how to do the job. I know how to govern. I’ll be ready on day one to turn our state around and get us back on track to a future full of opportunities and prosperity.

On fundraising, I’m proud that most of our support comes from Coloradans who want a different direction for this state. We’re building a statewide campaign based on grassroots support, strong momentum, and people who believe Colorado can do better. Colorado doesn’t need more talk. It needs leadership that shows up, does the work, and delivers results.

Bottoms:

I understand the challenge we face: Colorado Republicans haven’t won a governor’s race since Bill Owens’ re-election in 2002, and the June 30 primary winner will go up against formidable Democrats like Michael Bennet or Phil Weiser, who bring big fundraising advantages. Yet I believe this is our year to break that streak by speaking boldly to unaffiliated voters, the largest bloc in Colorado, with a message of reclamation, common sense, and real results rather than more of the same moderation that has failed us for 25 years.

I reject the old playbook of moving to the middle or staying quiet on the issues that matter most. Unaffiliated voters aren’t leaving Republicans because we’re too conservative, they’re leaving because we’ve been squishy, weak, and silent for too long. My internal polling shows nearly 50% of unaffiliated are already with me, along with crossover support from Democrats, because people crave leadership with a backbone. Whether you are Republican, Democrat, or unaffiliated, one truth remains: God is the one who gives life. I will reclaim the sanctity of life, protect the most vulnerable, and defend innocent children in Colorado.

My winning message to unaffiliated voters is simple and unifying: It’s time to Reclaim Colorado for all Coloradans. We will reclaim parenthood and childhood with two sexes, no genders, parental rights in education and healthcare, curriculum transparency, and protection for girls’ sports. We will reclaim safety and security by repealing soft-on-crime policies, backing our law enforcement, cracking down on drugs and trafficking, and ensuring sheriffs work with ICE. We will reclaim fiscal responsibility and affordability through the Open Ledger Act for real-time budget transparency, a Colorado D.O.G.E. to audit waste and cut bureaucracy, balanced budgets without gimmicks, and an all-of-the-above energy policy that unleashes oil, gas, coal, and nuclear power while slashing regulations and taxes that drive up costs for families and businesses. Colorado does not need another politician, we need a leader who delivers results for working families, rural communities, and urban neighborhoods alike.

On closing the fundraising gap between now and November, I am building a people-powered campaign that relies on grassroots energy rather than big donors or special interests. I have already held hundreds of events across all 64 counties, and we will ramp up fundraisers, like our upcoming ones in Loveland and Colorado Springs, where everyday Coloradans can contribute what they can, whether it’s $100 donations, yard signs, or merchandise that directly supports the effort. I am leaning on small-dollar online donations through our website, faith networks, viral videos like the “Enough is Enough” series, and relentless door-knocking and town halls. While the other side may have deeper pockets from elites, we have the momentum, the authenticity, and the clear contrast of transparent, accountable leadership versus one-party failures on crime, schools, housing costs, and mandates. Together, through this groundswell, we will close the gap and win in November.

This is our moment. Join me at ScottBottoms.com to Reclaim Colorado.

Marx: Did not respond.

2. Supporting the nominee 

If you do not win the primary, will you publicly endorse and actively support the Republican nominee? If there is a specific opponent you would not endorse, please say so and explain why.

Bottoms:

If I do not win the primary, I will publicly endorse and actively support the Republican nominee, with one clear exception.

I am fully committed to party unity because defeating the Democrat in November, whether Michael Bennet or Phil Weiser, is far more important than any individual candidacy. Colorado has suffered under one-party Democrat rule for too long, with rising crime, failing schools, reckless spending, and attacks on families and freedoms. I will put Colorado first by campaigning hard for the nominee, rallying my supporters, and doing everything possible to help deliver a Republican victory in the general election.

I believe in principle over personality. As a pastor and state representative who has fought consistently for life, parental rights, law and order, fiscal responsibility, and energy freedom, I expect the eventual nominee to uphold core Republican values as much as possible. All three of us on the primary ballot, myself, Victor Marx, and Barbara Kirkmeyer, are Republicans who want better for Colorado. While we have policy differences and different backgrounds, I will stand with the winner because the alternative is four more years of Democrat failures that unaffiliated voters and everyday Coloradans can no longer afford.

I will publicly endorse and actively support Barbara Kirkmeyer if she wins the primary. Although she is not a conservative and stands for many things I do not agree with, I am committed to supporting her for the good of the party and the state. Party unity demands that I set aside those differences to defeat the Democrat in November.

However, if Victor Marx wins the primary, I will not endorse or actively support him. I have publicly stated in recent interviews, including on the Ryan Schuiling Live show and references on The Jeff and Bill Show, that I believe Victor Marx is corrupt, a con man, and a liar. These concerns stem from inconsistencies in his background, past claims, questionable behavior in this race, and other serious issues I have raised. I cannot in good conscience ask Coloradans to support a nominee whose character and integrity I do not trust.

My pledge remains clear on principle: Win or lose the June 30 primary, I will support the Republican nominee with everything I have, except in the case of Victor Marx, to Reclaim Colorado in November. It’s time for Colorado Republicans to unite behind the people’s choice and deliver the leadership our state desperately needs.

Kirkmeyer:

The extraordinary circumstances of this primary, where one candidate refuses to answer legitimate questions about his personal and professional backgrounds while another candidate engages in outlandish accusations of illegal, despicable behavior in the Capitol for which he won’t provide proof, not only would ensure a crushing defeat in November, but they would undermine Republican candidates in competitive statewide, congressional, and state legislative elections. No candidate is entitled to general election support if their candidacy actually undermines other Republicans.

Marx: Did not respond.

3. First 100 days

If elected, what are the top three issues you will address in your first 100 days, and what specific actions will you take on each?

Kirkmeyer:

The first 100 days, I will send a clear message: Colorado is open for business, tough on crime, affordable for families, and governed with common sense again.

I will submit a new balanced budget that reflects conservative priorities, reins in wasteful spending, and begins ending the era of one-party control that has driven our state off course.

On day one, I will institute a statewide hiring freeze on non-essential positions and suspend unnecessary out-of-state travel. Taxpayers should not be funding bigger bureaucracy while families are being asked to do more with less.

Improving our roads and bridges will be my next focus. I have already identified more than $6 billion in funding to fix our crumbling roads and reduce traffic without raising taxes. My administration will double road funding by prioritizing real infrastructure over political pet projects, sweeping unused money from dormant accounts, and using smart public-private partnerships to get projects built faster.

Affordability will be the central mission of my administration because if families cannot afford to live here, nothing else matters. Colorado should be a place where hardworking people can build a life, buy a home, raise a family, and keep more of what they earn.

That starts with housing. I will take on the regulations, fees, and red tape that have made it harder and more expensive to build homes. We need more starter homes, more workforce housing, and faster permitting so young families, teachers, nurses, and first responders can afford to live in the communities they serve.

It also means tackling energy costs. Colorado families should not be forced to choose between paying the electric bill and buying groceries. I will pursue an all-of-the-above energy strategy focused on reliability, affordability, and protecting consumers from reckless rate hikes driven by political agendas.

Bottoms:

If elected governor, my top three priorities in the first 100 days will be to restore fiscal responsibility and government transparency, reclaim safety and security through law and order, and reclaim parenthood and childhood by restoring parental rights and protecting our kids.

I will immediately launch a Colorado Department of Government Efficiency (D.O.G.E.) to audit every state agency, root out waste and corruption, and eliminate unnecessary bureaucracy. On Day One, I will sign the Open Ledger Act to create real-time public budget dashboards so every Coloradan can see exactly where their tax dollars are going. I will veto any backroom spending bills, enforce a truly balanced budget without gimmicks or unfunded mandates, and end taxpayer-funded lobbying. These actions will stop the reckless spending that has made Colorado unaffordable and restore trust that government works for families and taxpayers first.

Colorado’s crime crisis cannot wait. In my first 100 days I will work with the legislature to repeal soft-on-crime policies, restore meaningful sentencing for violent offenders, drug traffickers, and child predators, and fully fund and train our law enforcement officers. I will direct sheriffs to partner with ICE to combat cartel activity and border-related crime, and I will establish a task force focused on the fentanyl epidemic and human trafficking. These steps will make our streets safer, support our police, and send a clear message that Colorado will no longer coddle criminals at the expense of law-abiding families.

I will immediately begin reclaiming parenthood and childhood for every Coloradan. Within the first 100 days I will advance legislation to codify parents’ rights over their children’s education, healthcare, and moral upbringing; require full curriculum transparency; protect girls’ sports and facilities based on biological sex; and ban sex-altering interventions on minors. I will also ban DEI, CRT, and SEL indoctrination in all state government and public schools and create a parent hotline to report grooming or inappropriate behavior by teachers or counselors. Colorado families, not bureaucrats, must decide what is best for their kids, and I will deliver that change from Day One.

These three priorities, fiscal sanity, safety, and family, are the foundation of my Reclaim Colorado agenda. I will hit the ground running to deliver real results for every Coloradan.

Marx: Did not respond.

4. Budget cuts

Colorado has a projected structural budget deficit, and the 2026-27 state budget required more than $1 billion in cuts. Where specifically would you have cut further, and what programs or line items would you eliminate as governor?

Bottoms:

If elected governor, I would treat the structural budget deficit and the more than $1 billion in cuts already forced into the 2026-27 state budget as a crisis that demands real accountability, not more gimmicks or backroom deals.

I would launch Colorado D.O.G.E. on Day One to audit every state agency and eliminate waste, bloat, and corruption across the board. The state budget has exploded from roughly $29 billion to over $45 billion in just seven years under one-party Democrat control, far outpacing population growth and inflation. That reckless spending is the root cause of our repeated shortfalls. Through the Colorado Department of Government Efficiency, I will conduct full audits and sunset reviews of every department, exposing every dollar and cutting programs that do not serve Colorado families, veterans, and taxpayers first. This is not about nickel-and-diming, it is about systematically rooting out fraud, inefficiency, and non-essential spending so we can deliver a truly balanced budget without gimmicks or unfunded mandates.

I would immediately eliminate or sharply restrict the “Cover All Coloradans” Medicaid expansion for non-citizens and similar line items that prioritize illegal immigrants over Colorado citizens. This program alone has blown past its original estimates by more than 700 percent and is now projected to cost nearly $130 million in the coming year while enrollment surges. As a state representative, I supported amendments to freeze that enrollment and redirect those dollars to critical needs like care for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. As governor, I will go further: I will audit Medicaid for fraud, impose work and citizenship requirements where legally possible, and end the practice of using taxpayer funds to provide expansive healthcare services to those who are not here legally. These are not sustainable priorities when Colorado families are struggling with high costs and our own vulnerable citizens are waiting for help.

I would ban taxpayer-funded lobbying, eliminate DEI and ESG mandates, and cut funding for non-essential or failing programs across state government. No more using your tax dollars so government employees can lobby for bigger government. I will prohibit that practice entirely. I will also zero out spending on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives, ESG mandates that hurt our energy sector and farmers, and any subsidies or grants that prop up private companies or ideological projects, like the electric-truck mandates in Senate Bill 21 that force taxpayers to buy vehicles businesses should purchase themselves. These line items represent the wrong values and the wrong priorities. By passing the Open Ledger Act on Day One, every Coloradan will see exactly where their money is going in real time, and together we will reclaim fiscal responsibility so Colorado lives within its means once again.

This approach, audits, transparency, and targeted eliminations, will close the structural deficit without raising taxes or harming essential services for the people who actually built and sustain this state. It is time to Reclaim Colorado’s budget for the taxpayers who pay the bills.

Kirkmeyer:

To rein in out-of-control spending by Democrats, on day one, I will require my chief of staff and department heads to identify cuts of 5 to 10% from their general fund operating budgets.

I will immediately institute a hiring freeze and suspend all out-of-state travel.

I will place a pause on all grant programs and grant funding going to non-governmental organizations until a thorough review is completed to ensure the state is not funding organizations run by current or former legislators or their relatives.

I will require each agency, department, and branch of government to conduct a comprehensive review of all cash funds within their jurisdiction and provide recommendations on which cash-funded programs can be eliminated.

I will begin rolling back burdensome regulations on businesses so we can help jumpstart our economy.

I will establish a task force to review the more than $3 billion in fees placed on taxpayers, citizens, and businesses. It is time to address our affordability challenges.

It is time to end waste, fraud, abuse, and inefficiency, and to create a state government that works for the people of Colorado.

The first office to be eliminated will be the Office of Saving People Money. It has not saved anyone money, yet the lieutenant governor has received a second paycheck in the amount of $75,000. Outrageous.

Marx: Did not respond.

5. Picking a running mate

Have you selected a running mate or identified who you are considering for lieutenant governor, and what qualities are you prioritizing in that choice?

Kirkmeyer:

I have not selected a running mate. I’m looking for a person whom I can trust, and who Colorado voters can trust, to help carry out our conservative agenda. 


Bottoms:

I have not yet formally selected a running mate for lieutenant governor. As we head into the final weeks before the June 30 primary, my focus remains on earning the Republican nomination and delivering a bold “Reclaim Colorado” message to voters. Once the primary is decided, I will choose a lieutenant governor who will be a true partner in executing that agenda from Day One. I am actively reviewing strong, principled conservatives who align with my values, but no final decision or announcement has been made.

The qualities I am prioritizing in a lieutenant governor are non-negotiable. I am looking for someone with proven integrity, a backbone to stand against one-party Democrat failures, and a deep commitment to the core principles of life, parental rights, law and order, fiscal responsibility, and energy freedom. The right running mate must be ready to help implement the Colorado D.O.G.E., enforce real budget transparency through the Open Ledger Act, protect children from ideological indoctrination, support our law enforcement, and put Colorado families and taxpayers first, not special interests or out-of-touch elites. I want a partner who brings complementary strengths, whether executive experience, grassroots energy, or policy expertise, while sharing my pastor’s heart for service and my state representative’s record of fighting for common-sense solutions.

This choice will be about principle over politics. Colorado desperately needs unified, trustworthy leadership after years of reckless spending, rising crime, and attacks on families. My running mate will be someone I trust completely to help deliver results for every Coloradan, Republican, unaffiliated, and even those tired of the status quo. When the time is right, I will announce a lieutenant governor who is ready to Reclaim Colorado alongside me. Until then, I continue to put the people of this state first and focus on winning the primary with the clear, bold vision Coloradans deserve.

Marx: Did not respond.

6. Closed primary and unaffiliated voters

On April 20, the Colorado GOP filed an emergency motion in federal court seeking to limit participation in the June 30 Republican primary to registered Republicans, following a March 31 ruling from U.S. District Judge Philip Brimmer that found Colorado’s 75 percent threshold for party opt-out unconstitutional. Do you support the party’s emergency motion, do you support the GOP opting out of the state-run primary system entirely, and how does your position connect to your strategy for winning the November general election?

After both candidates submitted their responses, Judge Brimmer denied the emergency motion on April 28. All four Colorado Republican members of Congress and the National Republican Congressional Committee had opposed the state party’s request.

Bottoms:

I fully support the Colorado Republican Party’s emergency motion filed on April 20 to limit participation in the June 30 Republican primary to registered Republicans.

After Judge Philip Brimmer’s March 31 ruling declared the 75 percent opt-out threshold unconstitutional, the party had every right to ask the court for immediate relief so that only actual Republicans decide who carries our banner. For too long, Colorado’s semi-open primary system has let unaffiliated voters, and in some cases Democrats, dilute or distort the will of the Republican base. I stood with the delegates at our state assembly who voted to back this effort, and as a state representative and pastor who has fought for principled conservatism, I believe political parties must control their own nominations. This is not about shutting out voters, it is about respecting the integrity of the Republican Party so we can put forward the strongest, most consistent conservative nominee possible.

I also support the GOP opting out of the state-run primary system entirely if that is what it takes to restore party sovereignty.

Colorado Republicans should have the freedom to choose their own process, whether through a closed primary, caucus, or convention, without the state forcing ballots on unaffiliated voters who have not affiliated with our party. The current system, born from Proposition 108, was sold as “fairness” but has repeatedly produced nominees who are more moderate than the grassroots demands. Opting out would let us return to a process that rewards backbone and accountability instead of pandering. I trust Colorado Republicans to pick the best leader, and I am confident that a nominee chosen by the party base will be the one best equipped to Reclaim Colorado.

This position connects directly to my strategy for winning the November general election by ensuring we nominate a bold, unapologetic conservative who can then reach out to unaffiliated voters, the largest voting bloc in Colorado, with a message of results, not compromise.

Unaffiliated voters are not looking for another squishy moderate, they are leaving the status quo because one-party Democrat rule has delivered rising crime, failing schools, reckless spending, and attacks on families. By securing a primary decided by committed Republicans, we guarantee a nominee with a clear “Reclaim Colorado” platform on fiscal transparency, parental rights, law and order, and energy freedom. From there, I will take that principled message to unaffiliated households across all 64 counties, showing them that real leadership delivers safer streets, lower costs, and restored freedoms. A closed or party-controlled nomination process does not hurt our general-election chances, it strengthens them by producing the authentic conservative candidate unaffiliated voters tell me they are ready to support when the alternative is more of the same Democrat failures. Win the primary with integrity, then win the general with boldness. That is how we finally break the 24-year drought and take back the governor’s office.

Kirkmeyer:

I do not support the party’s emergency motion, which appears to be hastily and poorly drafted, among other concerns. If the lawsuit succeeds, Unaffiliated voters would receive notice that they are welcome to participate in – and only in – the Democratic Party’s primary. I’m concerned about how this message will be viewed by Unaffiliated voters, because we will need a majority of their votes to win a general election. To win elections in Colorado, we need to grow the Republican Party, not shrink it!


Marx: Did not respond.

Individual candidate responses

RMV also asked each candidate a separate set of questions drawn from their legislative records, public statements and reader submissions. Read Bottoms’ full responses on the FBI claims, Oltmann, abortion and certification here. Read Kirkmeyer’s full responses on the budget, Cover All Coloradans, TABOR and Tina Peters here.

Colorado clerks start mailing primary ballots to voters on June 8. Primary election day is June 30. The first biweekly campaign finance reports for 2026 are due to the Secretary of State on May 4, which will provide updated fundraising and spending data for all three candidates.

About this feature: RMV sent the same six questions to all three Republican gubernatorial candidates and developed individualized questions drawn from each candidate’s record, public statements and resident submissions. Thirty-nine Colorado residents submitted questions through a public form. All candidates received the same deadline. 

Disclosure: RMV founder Heidi Ganahl ran for governor in 2022 as the Republican nominee. She briefly assisted an organization supporting Marx, outside of his campaign, but ended that in January. She is not endorsing or publicly supporting a Governor candidate in the primary. This feature was produced independently by the RMV editorial team.