Ahead of the Nov. 3 election, the IJN sent a questionnaire to the gubernatorial candidates of each major political party. These are the Republican candidate Victor Marx’s responses.
IJN: With the water crisis, growing urban density and federal-state conflicts, is Colorado going downhill? If so, can this be reversed?
Victor Marx:
Colorado is headed in the wrong direction, but it can be turned around. Families are paying more for housing, utilities and everyday needs, and many feel their state government has stopped listening.
Reversing that starts with protecting our water as the most important resource we have, removing the fees and mandates that drive up the cost of homes and treating Washington as a partner instead of an opponent.
My opponent has served in state government for nearly eight years and believes government is the answer.
I believe Coloradans are the answer, and I will govern that way.
What will you do to ensure that Coloradans receive federal disaster aid and other federal funds they need?
When a community is hit by fire or flood, the people who live there need help quickly, regardless of who holds office. Federal aid depends on strong documentation, early coordination and working relationships.
As governor, I will make the case in person, work with our congressional delegation from both parties and keep the focus on the families affected.
Colorado has filed lawsuit after lawsuit against Washington. Lawsuits have their place, but they rarely help a family rebuild. I will lead with relationships.
Politics aside, what special skills, temperament and mindset do you possess that qualify you to serve essentially as the CEO of a very large enterprise, namely the State of Colorado?
I served in the Marine Corps, and I have led humanitarian teams in Iraq, Syria and Israel, where careful judgment under pressure protects lives. I have built an organization, managed budgets and answered to supporters who expect results.
That experience taught me to listen first, stay steady in a crisis and hold myself and my team accountable. Phil Weiser is an accomplished attorney. Colorado needs an executive who can lead, and that is the experience I bring.”
How will you ensure that Colorado is a place where freedom of worship and thought is sustained?
What role does the governor have in responding to events such as the June 1, 2025 deadly terrorist attack in Boulder?
The Boulder attack was an act of anti-Semitic terror. Karen Diamond and the others were peacefully walking for the hostages, and they were attacked because they were Jewish.
A governor must name hatred plainly, stand with the victims and their families and make sure law enforcement has what it needs to prevent the next attack.
I will support security for synagogues, schools and community centers, and I will insist that our campuses protect Jewish students.
I credit Mr. Weiser for calling the attack what it was. Still, a nominee on his own party’s ticket has refused to do the same, and his response was to offer her a conversation. On this question, leadership requires clarity, not conversation.
Would you participate in a trade mission to Israel?
Yes, without hesitation. Shortly after the atrocities of Oct. 7, my wife Eileen and I traveled to Israel with our team to bring aid and comfort to families and children affected by the attack. I saw the strength of the Israeli people firsthand.
Israel leads the world in water technology, agriculture, cybersecurity and medicine, and Colorado would benefit from a closer partnership in each.
My opponent has said that supporting Israel does not mean supporting all of its actions.
My position is simple: Colorado should stand firmly with Israel as a friend and partner.
How would you support local journalism while still adhering to the First Amendment?
A free and independent press is essential to accountable government. The state should never decide which outlets succeed or shape what they report.
What a governor can do is keep government open. I will respond to reporters promptly, strengthen access to public records and make sure state notices and advertising continue to reach local publications serving their communities.
Transparency is the best support government can offer journalism.
© IJN 2026
