Colorado Republican Assembly: State Rep. Scott Bottoms Secures Top Ballot Position in GOP Governor’s Race
Why It Matters
Colorado’s Republican primary for governor took a significant step forward Saturday as party activists gathered in Pueblo to determine which candidates will advance to the ballot. The assembly results signal which conservative candidates will compete for the chance to challenge Democrats in the November general election for the state’s top executive office.
The outcome reflects a strong grassroots appetite among Colorado Republicans for candidates who prioritize parental rights, fiscal responsibility, border enforcement, and government reform — issues that have energized the party’s base heading into a critical election cycle.
What Happened
State Rep. Scott Bottoms secured the top position on the Republican primary ballot for Colorado governor after earning 45% support from roughly 2,200 delegates at the Colorado Republican Assembly held Saturday on the campus of Colorado State University Pueblo. Evangelical pastor and former Marine Victor Marx finished second with 39% support, also qualifying for the primary ballot.
Candidates were required to earn the backing of at least 30% of delegates to advance through the assembly process, though Marx needed only 10% because he had also submitted petition signatures to qualify. Eleven total gubernatorial candidates competed for ballot placement at the event.
The release of official results was delayed after officials discovered that approximately 80 more paper ballots had been cast than people credentialed to vote. Al Gage, the state Republican Party’s parliamentarian, said the party believed no fraud had occurred and attributed the discrepancy to malfunctioning credential scanners at the arena entrances. Through a voice vote, delegates chose to accept the overvotes and proceed with the results.
By the Numbers
- 45% — Share of delegate support earned by Scott Bottoms, the highest of any candidate
- 39% — Share of delegate support earned by Victor Marx, who placed second
- 30% — Threshold required for candidates to advance via the assembly process
- ~2,200 — Total delegates participating in the assembly
- 80 — Excess ballots discovered before results were certified, prompting a procedural review
- 11 — Total gubernatorial candidates who competed for ballot placement at the assembly
The Candidates
Bottoms, who serves as lead pastor at the evangelical Church at Briargate in addition to his legislative role, addressed delegates on themes of government transparency, energy development, and parental rights. “I’m going to reclaim parenthood and childhood for all Coloradans,” Bottoms said in his speech. “We will reclaim safety and security. Sheriffs will work with ICE.” He also pledged to apply efficiency reforms to state government, invoking the federal Department of Government Efficiency as a model.
Bottoms is a vocal opponent of abortion and has championed conservative positions throughout his legislative tenure. He has called for mining lithium and uranium and building nuclear reactors as part of an energy independence agenda.
Marx, a former Marine and founder of All Things Possible ministry — a nonprofit based in Colorado Springs with projects in countries including Cambodia, Afghanistan, and Iraq — focused his speech on protecting Second Amendment rights, rebuilding infrastructure, and pushing back against business regulations driving companies out of Colorado. Marx also pledged that on his first day in office, he would pardon Tina Peters, the former Mesa County clerk convicted in connection with a 2021 election system security breach. For more on that case, the Colorado Court of Appeals recently upheld Peters’ conviction while sending sentencing back to the trial judge.
Zoom Out
Colorado has leaned Democratic in statewide elections in recent cycles, making the Republican primary a contest not only over ideology but also over electability. Bottoms and Marx will likely face state Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer of Brighton, a more moderate Republican who bypassed the assembly process by submitting petition signatures, which are still awaiting verification from the Secretary of State’s office.
The assembly dynamic mirrors tensions playing out in Republican primaries across the country, where grassroots conservative activists often favor more ideologically distinct candidates, while party strategists debate which profiles are best positioned to win general elections. Colorado Republicans have also seen recent signs of voter energy at the local level — Lakewood voters recently repealed pro-density zoning laws in a decisive ballot measure, reflecting a broader pushback against progressive urban policy across the state.
What’s Next
With Bottoms and Marx having secured their spots through the assembly, and Kirkmeyer’s petition signatures pending verification, the Republican primary field for Colorado governor is expected to take final shape in the coming weeks. Once all candidates are officially certified, the primary campaign will move into a broader voter outreach phase ahead of the June primary election.
Party observers will be watching whether the assembly’s conservative energy translates into broader appeal across Colorado’s diverse electorate as the general election approaches in November.