Phil Weiser Wins Colorado Governor's Race as Victor Marx Concedes

Democrat Phil Weiser, Colorado’s two-term attorney general, will be the state’s next governor. He defeated Republican nominee Victor Marx on Tuesday, Nov. 3. The Associated Press declared Weiser and running mate Lesley Dahlkemper, a Jefferson County commissioner, the winners minutes after polls closed, the Denver Gazette reported.

With 77% of the expected vote counted, CBS Colorado’s results showed Weiser with 1,231,568 votes (56%), Marx with 679,966 (31%) and independent Greg Lopez with 56,202 (2%). Counting continued after that, and the totals are unofficial until certified.

Weiser replaces Democratic Gov. Jared Polis, who is term-limited after eight years in office.

Victor Marx concedes

Marx conceded just after 9 p.m. and said he had called Weiser to congratulate him, according to the Denver Gazette.

“I have called Governor-elect Weiser to congratulate him and to wish him well, because Colorado’s future matters more than any one campaign,” Marx said in a statement quoted by CBS Colorado. “Phil and I disagree on a great deal, and we said so plainly. But I will pray for him, and I want him to succeed, because when Colorado’s governor succeeds, Colorado’s families succeed.”

He also thanked his supporters. “We ran on a simple promise: a lower cost of living, safer communities, and a government that lives within its means,” Marx said, according to the Gazette. “Colorado voters have made their choice tonight, and I respect it.”

What Weiser said

Speaking to supporters in Denver, Weiser said his travels across the state made it clear that “at a time of rising fear and cruelty, Colorado’s answer is rising hope and compassion,” CBS Colorado reported.

He also addressed people who did not vote for him: “There’s so much more that unites us than divides us, and I want you to know that my administration will always show up and listen and work with you to deliver on the promise of building a better Colorado for all of us.”

In a statement, Weiser said voters chose “a willingness to fight for what is right — even if it means taking on powerful companies, or a lawless and bullying president,” the Gazette reported.

Who is Phil Weiser?

Weiser, 58, has been Colorado’s attorney general since 2019. According to CBS Colorado and the Denver Gazette, he:

• Was dean of the University of Colorado Law School
• Served in the Obama administration, including as a technology adviser
• Clerked for Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg
• Beat three-term U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet in the June Democratic primary

His opposition to President Donald Trump’s policies was central to his campaign. The Gazette reported that he has filed more than 80 lawsuits against the administration since January 2025. He also campaigned on affordability, housing and expanding educational and business opportunities.

Who is Victor Marx?

Marx is a Marine veteran who founded the Colorado Springs-based ministry All Things Possible Ministries. He entered the race as a political unknown with a social media following of nearly 3 million, CBS Colorado reported. In the Republican primary he defeated two sitting legislators, state Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer and Rep. Scott Bottoms. His running mate was retired Marine Col. George Markert.

The Colorado governor race in context

Colorado has elected only one Republican governor since the early 1970s: Bill Owens, who served from 1999 to 2007, according to the Gazette. Democrats have held every statewide office since 2018, and every leading national forecaster rated this year’s governor’s race as solidly Democratic.

Lopez, the independent, is a former Republican who served six months in Congress in 2024 after winning a vacancy election in the 4th Congressional District.

Polis congratulated Weiser on election night, saying he was “confident that Governor-Elect Phil Weiser will further this work to make Colorado stronger.”

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