Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Sep 29
Victor Marx, 61, Splinters Colorado Republicans in Governor Race
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Sep 29

Victor Marx, 61, Splinters Colorado Republicans in Governor Race

1 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Sep 29

Summary

  • Colorado Republicans are fracturing around Victor Marx, a 61-year-old Christian ministry leader whose long-shot gubernatorial bid has turned on a sensational personal story.
  • Marx has told voters he survived an abusive childhood, was forced to kill a man at age 7, cast out a demon and rescued civilians in Iraq—claims critics say are outsized and sometimes hard to verify.
  • Grassroots evangelical conservatives have embraced him as a spiritual warrior, but establishment Republicans call him unqualified and fear he could deepen losses in a state where the party holds no statewide office.
  • Dick Wadhams, a former state party chairman, said he plans to vote for an independent and wants Marx to lose badly, underscoring the stakes for a party also defending 3 competitive House seats.

Insights

Can a faith-driven outsider campaign built on a dramatic life story withstand demands for proof, policy detail, and executive readiness?