Weiser Wins Governor With 29 Point Lead

Philip J. Weiser leads by 29 percentage points. He will become the next governor of Colorado. The Associated Press called the race for the Democrat at 7 p.m. on Tuesday. Initial results showed a wide gap between the two candidates.

Weiser held 62% of the vote as of 8:30 p.m. Victor Marx had 33%. The margin is among the widest in recent decades. It matches the reelections of Gov. Bill Owens in 2002 and Gov. Roy Romer. Weiser takes office in January. Gov. Jared Polis is term limited after two terms.

Supporters cheered inside the Mission Ballroom in northeast Denver. Weiser took the stage at 7:30 p.m. He shared his family history. His grandmother survived a Nazi concentration camp. She gave birth to his mother there. Weiser used the story to illustrate what is possible in one generation.

He thanked former Gov. Roy Romer. Romer served as a personal mentor to Weiser. Weiser called him a model for searching for truth. He said Romer defended equal rights even when it was difficult. Weiser stated that Colorado’s answer to rising fear is rising hope and compassion.

Weiser is the state’s two-term attorney general. He won the Democratic nomination in June. He defeated U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet. Voters supported his record of fighting the Trump administration. He also has a history of lawsuits against large corporations. He previously served as dean of the University of Colorado School of Law.

Victor Marx is a longtime leader of a nonprofit Christian ministry. He lives in Colorado Springs. He had never sought elected office before. He won the Republican nomination in a close primary. Both of his rivals said they would not vote for him to lead the state. He avoided formal debates during the general campaign.

Marx faced the largest campaign finance violation fine in state history. He had not made a public statement by 8:30 p.m. He did not hold a watch party. Weiser said he had not heard from Marx’s camp. He noted that he felt bad for the state because they did not have a real debate.

Weiser said the result is a call to the Colorado Republican Party. He said a nominee should be serious about debates and real solutions. He criticized views on domestic violence that he found abhorrent. The state faces repeated budget deficits of $1 billion. One is projected for the fiscal year starting in July. Weiser will likely govern with Democratic majorities in the legislature. Three tight ballot measures on tax policy may affect the state’s fiscal picture.