Colorado’s Republican governor primary: Scott Bottoms in his own words

By RMV Editorial Board | Rocky Mountain Voice

In five weeks, the candidate who won 45 percent of delegate votes at the GOP state assembly will be a name on a ballot. Scott Bottoms wants them to know exactly where he stands—on everything.

In the individualized portion of RMV’s governor primary feature, the Colorado Springs pastor and state representative answered questions about his faith-driven language on the House floor, his budget vote, his FBI claims, his endorsement of Joe Oltmann, his readiness to run a $46 billion state government and his vote against certifying election results.

These questions were drawn from reader submissions, Bottoms’ legislative record and public statements. The common questions all three GOP candidates received are published in the side-by-side comparison. But for the questions asked just of him, Bottoms’ full responses appear below.

“Demonic” characterizations and governing style

You have described abortion and transgender rights as “demonic” and have stated that some of your Democrat colleagues “talk to Satan.” How do you plan to govern a state where unaffiliated voters outnumber registered Republicans, and do you stand by those characterizations?

Yes, I stand firmly by those characterizations, and I will not apologize for speaking biblical truth as a pastor and as a leader.

Abortion ends innocent life, and the push for transgender ideologies, especially when it targets children with irreversible harm, is demonic in its deception and destruction. I have said this plainly because it is what Scripture and my conscience demand. Some of my Democratic colleagues have promoted policies that protect predators and confuse our kids, and I have described that as talking to Satan because it aligns with the spiritual forces of darkness that Scripture warns against. These are not personal attacks, they are moral diagnoses of policies that harm the most vulnerable. As governor, my faith will continue to guide me, but it will never prevent me from serving every Coloradan with integrity.

I plan to govern a state where unaffiliated voters outnumber registered Republicans by delivering bold, results-driven leadership that puts Colorado families first, not by moderating my values or watering down the truth.

Unaffiliated voters are the largest bloc because they are tired of one-party Democrat failures: skyrocketing costs, failing schools, rising crime, and government overreach that ignores common sense. My “Reclaim Colorado” agenda speaks directly to them with practical solutions, the Open Ledger Act for budget transparency, a Colorado D.O.G.E. to cut waste, restored parental rights, real law and order, and an all-of-the-above energy policy that lowers prices for working families. Whether Republican, unaffiliated, or even Democrat, every Coloradan deserves safer streets, lower taxes, protected children, and accountable government. I have already shown through internal polling and grassroots outreach that unaffiliated voters respond to backbone, not squishy compromise. My message is unifying because it focuses on what matters to everyday people: protecting kids, balancing the budget, and reclaiming freedom.

Governing means working across the aisle where possible while never compromising on core principles that protect life and liberty.

I will veto bills that expand abortion or harm children, advance parental rights legislation, and enforce laws that keep predators away from our daughters’ sports and locker rooms, but I will also sit down with anyone willing to put Colorado first. Unaffiliated voters are not looking for another politician who says whatever polls best, they want a leader who tells the truth and delivers results. My faith gives me the courage to do both. That is how we finally break 24 years of Democrat dominance and Reclaim Colorado for every family in this state.

Budget vote and Medicaid cuts

You voted against the 2026-27 budget bill along with every other House Republican except Rep. Rick Taggart. If you were governor and the legislature sent you a similar budget in a year with a $1 billion-plus shortfall, what specifically would you have cut instead of Medicaid provider rates and dental benefits, and would you have vetoed the bill?

Yes, I voted against the 2026-27 budget bill, as did every other House Republican except Rep. Rick Taggart, because it failed to address the real drivers of our structural deficit and continued the same reckless priorities that have ballooned state spending from roughly $29 billion to over $46 billion in just a few years.

If I were governor and the legislature sent me a similar budget in a year with a $1 billion-plus shortfall, I would veto the bill immediately and send it back with a demand for deeper, smarter cuts that protect Colorado families, taxpayers, and our most vulnerable citizens.

Instead of cutting Medicaid provider rates and dental benefits, which hurt doctors, patients, and the very people the program is supposed to serve, I would eliminate or freeze the “Cover All Coloradans” Medicaid expansion for non-citizens.

That program alone has exploded 611% over original estimates and is now projected to cost nearly $130 million while enrollment for children surges. As a state representative, I supported Republican amendments to freeze that enrollment and redirect every saved dollar to care for Coloradans with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) whose funding was slashed in half. Those amendments were rejected by the Democrat majority. As governor, I would go further: audit Medicaid for fraud and abuse, impose work requirements and citizenship verification where legally possible, and stop using taxpayer dollars to provide expansive benefits to those who are not here legally. Colorado citizens and legal residents must come first.

I would also zero out taxpayer-funded lobbying, DEI and ESG mandates, unfunded mandates on local governments, and wasteful subsidies like the electric-truck mandates in Senate Bill 21 that force taxpayers to buy vehicles private companies should purchase themselves.

Our budget is not balanced except on paper. Bills are funded by stealing from the unclaimed property trust fund, which is not ethical, nor legal in my opinion. Many bills are funded by “gift, grants or donation.” This is not real budgeting. These are shell games that I will not vote for. That is not a balanced budget by any stretch of the imagination.

On Day One I would launch the Colorado Department of Government Efficiency (D.O.G.E.) to conduct full audits and sunset reviews of every agency, exposing every dollar of waste, bloat, and corruption. I would sign the Open Ledger Act so every Coloradan can see real-time where their money is going. These are not abstract ideas, they are the specific, targeted cuts I have championed in my op-eds and floor speeches. A truly balanced budget is not achieved by trimming provider rates or dental coverage, it is achieved by ending the fiscal malpractice that prioritizes illegal immigrants, ideological programs, and special interests over working families, veterans, and those with genuine needs.

This is how we finally live within our means, restore trust, and Reclaim Colorado’s budget for the people who actually pay the bills. I will never sign a budget that kicks the can down the road or balances on the backs of providers and patients while protecting waste. Veto, audit, and cut smart, that is the leadership Colorado deserves.

FBI and pedophile ring claims

In February you told a Colorado Springs Republican forum and radio hosts including Ryan Schuiling and Mandy Connell that you have been working with the FBI for three years to uncover pedophile rings in the state House, Senate and governor’s office. As a pastor, you are among the professionals listed as mandatory reporters under Colorado law. You have declined to share evidence with local law enforcement or name the agents involved. What evidence can you produce publicly, and why have you not turned this information over to Colorado authorities who are empowered to act on it?

I stand firmly by the statements I made in February at the Colorado Springs Republican forum and in my interviews with Ryan Schuiling and Mandy Connell.

Pedophilia and child sex trafficking networks do run through elements of the Colorado State House, Senate, and governor’s office. Three years ago, credible whistleblowers brought this information to me, and I immediately began working with trusted FBI agents outside the state of Colorado because I did not trust the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, state police, or the local FBI field office to investigate without political interference or a cover-up.

As a pastor and a mandatory reporter under Colorado law, I have fulfilled my legal and moral duty by reporting this information directly to federal authorities equipped to act on it.

I originally did not turn the details over to Colorado state or local law enforcement for the same reason. I have seen too much evidence of institutional protection of powerful people in this state to risk the safety of victims and whistleblowers by handing sensitive material to agencies I do not trust to pursue it aggressively and impartially.

I have not produced specific evidence publicly at this time because it forms part of an ongoing federal investigation, and releasing names, documents, or details could compromise that investigation and endanger innocent lives.

I have shared credible whistleblower testimony and documentation with the FBI here in CO now. The evidence I reviewed was serious enough to warrant a multi-year federal inquiry, even if some of the initial leads were lighter than I would have preferred. I am not a prosecutor or law-enforcement officer, I am a pastor and a legislator who took the right step by getting the information into the hands of the right federal investigators.

When I am elected governor, I will have the authority and resources to ensure these networks are fully exposed, shut down, and the perpetrators are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Protecting Colorado’s children is not a political talking point for me, it is a non-negotiable moral imperative. I will continue to shine a light on this darkness until every child in our state is safe.

Joe Oltmann endorsement

You have publicly defended Joe Oltmann, calling him “a man of integrity” in December 2025, and stated you will not support Victor Marx if he wins the primary. Oltmann has since withdrawn from the governor’s race and is running for Colorado GOP chair. As a pastor, how do you reconcile that stance with the need for Republican unity heading into November, and what do you say to primary voters who fear your position hands the general election to the Democrats?

As a pastor, I reconcile my public defense of Joe Oltmann as “a man of integrity” with the call for Republican unity by insisting that real unity must be built on truth, character, and shared principles, not on personalities or pressure to ignore serious concerns.

In December 2025, when Joe Oltmann entered the governor’s race, I stated clearly that I had no problem with him running and that I believe he is a man of integrity. That assessment has not changed. Joe has since withdrawn from the gubernatorial primary and is now running for Colorado Republican Party chair. I am honored to have received his endorsement for governor, and I have proudly given him my full endorsement for state party chair. Together we can build a united Republican movement rooted in freedom, accountability, and common sense. As a pastor, I am called to speak truth, stand for integrity, and protect the innocent, even when it is uncomfortable. That same standard applies in politics.

My refusal to support Victor Marx if he wins the primary flows from the exact same commitment to principle over personality. I have publicly stated that I believe Victor Marx is corrupt, a con man, and a liar based on inconsistencies in his background, past claims, and behavior in this race. I cannot in good conscience ask Coloradans to support a nominee whose character I do not trust. Party unity is important, but it cannot come at the expense of integrity or the safety of our state’s future. Forcing support for someone I believe is unfit would be dishonest and would ultimately weaken us.

To primary voters who fear my position will hand the general election to the Democrats, I say this: the path to victory in November is not through compromising our values or pretending character doesn’t matter, it is through nominating and supporting principled, trustworthy leaders who can then reach unaffiliated voters with a bold “Reclaim Colorado” message. Colorado has not elected a Republican governor in 24 years precisely because too many in our party have chosen “unity” over backbone. I am committed to defeating Michael Bennet or Phil Weiser in November by delivering real results on fiscal responsibility, parental rights, law and order, and energy freedom. Joe Oltmann’s leadership at the party level will help us organize, fundraise, and unite behind the right nominee. My stance is not division, it is clarity. Coloradans are tired of one-party rule and tired of politicians who say one thing and do another. By standing on principle now, we build the kind of Republican Party that can actually win in November and finally Reclaim Colorado.

Executive experience and budget credentials

You were elected to the state House in 2022 and have no elected executive or state budget management experience. Campaign finance reports through the end of 2025 showed limited cash on hand compared to Kirkmeyer and Marx. Explain what in your pastoral and legislative background prepares you to run a $46 billion state budget and a workforce of more than 30,000 state employees.

My background as a pastor and legislator has uniquely prepared me to manage Colorado’s $46 billion state budget and lead more than 30,000 state employees with accountability, discipline, and a servant’s heart.

For nearly 14 years I have served as Lead Pastor of Church at Briargate, a vibrant congregation with a large pastoral and administrative staff, multiple ministries, facilities, and a significant operating budget. Over my 30-plus years in pastoral ministry, including senior pastor roles in Texas and Colorado, I have successfully led large teams, stewarded finances responsibly, made difficult personnel decisions, balanced budgets year after year, and inspired people to work together toward a common mission. Leading a church demands real executive skills: managing people and resources, prioritizing needs, eliminating waste, and delivering results while staying true to core values. Those same disciplines apply directly to running state government.

As a sitting member of the House Appropriations Committee, I have spent the last several legislative sessions deeply engaged in reviewing, debating, and shaping Colorado’s multi-billion-dollar state budget, including the Long Bill. I have seen firsthand how the budget has ballooned from roughly $29 billion to over $45 billion in recent years under one-party control, and I have consistently fought against reckless spending, unfunded mandates, and misplaced priorities on the House floor. This hands-on experience gives me practical, working knowledge of how the state budget actually operates and where the real waste, bloat, and inefficiencies exist, far more relevant than simply holding a prior elected executive title.

My six years as a U.S. Navy veteran also instilled in me the leadership, discipline, and ability to manage large-scale operations under pressure. I am not a career politician. I am a proven leader who has managed people and resources effectively in both the church and legislative arenas. As governor, I will immediately launch the Colorado D.O.G.E. and sign the Open Ledger Act to bring real-time transparency and efficiency to every dollar of taxpayer money. Colorado does not need another polished politician with the “right” résumé on paper, it needs a leader with moral clarity, fiscal discipline, and the courage to make the tough decisions required to Reclaim Colorado for the families who actually pay the bills.

Election certification and January 6

Bottoms was one of six House Republicans who voted against certifying the 2024 legislative election results, citing a password leak from the Secretary of State’s office.

As governor, you would sign the certificate of ascertainment for presidential electors based on results certified by the Secretary of State. You have been publicly outspoken about election integrity concerns, including questions about the 2020 election and the federal government’s handling of January 6. Democrats will likely use those positions against you in a general election. How do you distinguish between raising legitimate questions about election integrity and performing the constitutional duties of governor, and what is your framework for approaching certification and election administration if you are elected?

I will always raise legitimate questions about election integrity because transparency and trust in our elections are foundational to our republic, but as governor, I will faithfully perform my constitutional duty to sign the certificate of ascertainment based on results certified by the Secretary of State.

Democrats will try to weaponize my record, but the facts are clear: I have never claimed the power to override certified results or ignore the law. When I voted against certifying the 2024 legislative election results alongside five other House Republicans, it was because a serious password leak from the Secretary of State’s office raised real red flags about potential vulnerabilities, even if I openly acknowledged we lacked definitive proof of altered votes. That was me doing my job as a legislator: demanding accountability, not obstructing the process. The same principle applies to my public concerns about the 2020 election and the federal government’s handling of January 6. I believe the FBI had informants and played a role in luring people into the Capitol, and I have questioned whether every aspect of 2020 was conducted with complete integrity. These are legitimate questions any elected official should ask when evidence of irregularities surfaces. Raising them is not “denialism,” it is oversight.

My framework for approaching certification and election administration as governor is simple, lawful, and focused on restoring trust without ever stepping outside the Constitution.

On Day One I will sign the certificate of ascertainment exactly as the law requires, using the official results certified by the Secretary of State. That is my constitutional obligation, and I will fulfill it. At the same time, I will use the full power of the governor’s office to drive real election integrity reforms so future elections are beyond reproach: eliminating mail-in ballots and voting machines in favor of same-day, in-person, paper-ballot voting with strict voter ID and citizenship verification; conducting full forensic audits when irregularities are alleged; and ensuring every county follows uniform, secure processes. I will also support legislation to clean voter rolls, ban private funding of elections, and protect poll watchers. Colorado families, Republican, unaffiliated, and Democrat alike, deserve elections they can trust. I will never certify false results, but I will never refuse to certify legitimate ones either. That balance is how we protect democracy: question aggressively, reform boldly, and govern lawfully. Democrats can attack me all they want, unaffiliated voters are hungry for a leader who tells the truth and delivers secure elections, not one who pretends every process is flawless while Colorado’s system remains vulnerable. This is the path to finally Reclaim Colorado.

Colorado clerks start mailing primary ballots to voters on June 8. Primary election day is June 30. 

About this feature: These individualized questions were drawn from resident submissions, each candidate’s record and public statements. For the common questions and how we built this feature, see the side-by-side comparison.