Victor Marx

Victor Marx (born July 5, 1965) is an American author, minister, and political candidate. He is the Republican nominee for governor of Colorado in the 2026 election, where he will face the Democratic nominee Phil Weiser. Marx has made several claims about his life and background that have been seen as sensational and controversial while the validity of many of his claims has been questioned or disproven.

Early life and education Marx was born to a man named Karl Marx and a young mother in Lafayette, Louisiana, where he also grew up. Marx claimed that at age three, his stepfather forced him to behead a cat and wear its carcass on his head. As a child, Marx moved frequently, living in 17 different homes and attending 14 different schools.

He served for three years in the United States Marine Corps from 1983 to 1986. He was inspired to do so after the 1983 Beirut barracks bombings, which killed 241 American personnel. Towards the end of his service in the Marine Corps, Marx reunited with his biological father, who spurred his conversion to Christianity. Marx was an assistant for three years at James Dobson's Evangelical Christian organization Focus on the Family. including from individuals he claimed were possessed due to the influence of pornography or being an unmarried couple living together. In a 2023 podcast, he claimed that he "hunts demons" and recalled a time when his dog identified a demonic presence in a couple resting at a pool where he then exorcised the woman from "five demons that had been assigned to her".

2026 Colorado gubernatorial campaign On October 1, 2025, he announced his campaign for governor of Colorado. Marx has said that his wife encouraged him to do so. Marx won nearly 40% of the vote at the Republican state assembly in April 2026. Marx's campaign has received $2.5 million in donations, more than Kirkmeyer's and Bottoms's campaigns combined.

Marx was questioned about his past claims in an interview with 9News anchor Kyle Clark in June 2026. He denied claiming to have performed "more than 130 missions" in 30 countries rescuing women and children or to have called in an airstrike as a civilian that killed 70 ISIS fighters.

Leading to the June primary, Kirkmyer and Bottoms indicated they would refuse to endorse Marx if he won the GOP nomination. Kirkmeyer believed he was unfit to be governor and a "disaster for our state" while Bottoms said that Marx was a "con man".

Soon after Marx was declared the GOP nominee, he circulated a loyalty pledge so the other Republican candidates can sign to indicate their support for his campaign. As of July 15, most of the statewide Republican candidates have not publicly signed the pledge. On July 15, Marx claimed in a talk radio show that former Republican governor Bill Owens endorsed him in the Governor's race, saying "I got a call yesterday that he’s endorsing me". In a statement, Bill Owens responded that he hasn't officially endorsed Marx, saying he intends to wait to see how Marx's campaign unfolds. Marx's candidacy has led to tensions within the state GOP, with several Republicans refusing to support Marx's campaign while others urging the party to back Marx.

On July 27, Marx's campaign was alleged to have violated state campaign finance laws according to state election officials. The campaign allegedly accepted over 100 improper contributions during the primary election that exceeded the legal amount. Marx's campaign said they were working with state officials on the matter while Marx would later respond and say that the violations were a "nothing burger". In late July, Marx announced to his supporters that they can buy campaign merchandise via a new website to bypass campaign finance restrictions on individuals donating more than $3,500 to a single campaign. During an online campaign event, Marx said "If they order merchandise, there's no limit on that. They can order as much as they want. That will really help us." Around August 28, the website became inaccessible and Marx denied involvement, saying "I don’t have anything to do with it" when contacted about the website by 9news.

Political positions David Corn of Mother Jones has described Marx as a Christian fundamentalist and that many of his political views reflect such influences. During the primary, Marx stated he intentionally avoided detailed policy discussions, saying that voters should focus on his background instead.

Marx has said if elected as Colorado governor he would cut regulations to expand housing and childcare, as well as increasing energy production to lower gas and utility costs. He has stated a commitment to protecting TABOR in Colorado. On affordability issues, Colorado Newsline reported that Marx offered a "vague answer" to moderators during a debate then elaborated that he would "negotiate with people to accomplish a greater good."

Marx opposes Flock Safety cameras. Marx's running mate George Market, has said they will attempt to eliminate abortion protections in the state if elected. Eileen is a fitness kickboxer. Following their marriage, they opened a gym. A pastor in Honolulu enticed Marx and his wife to move there to start a Christian karate school. Marx spent many years in Hawaii, living there from 1995 to 2001. He began feeling suicidal, and he checked himself into The Queen's Medical Center. While living in Honolulu, his children learned Hawaiian Pidgin.

Inspired by Lone Wolf McQuade, Marx has posted social media videos in which he disarms people holding dummy firearms.