Politics
Colorado governor candidates diverge on housing, labor rules and state spending
Attorney General Phil Weiser and political newcomer Victor Marx offer sharply different plans as they seek to succeed term-limited Gov. Jared Polis. Their proposals span housing costs, environmental rules, government budgeting and union rights.
Colorado voters face a choice between two candidates with contrasting political backgrounds and approaches to state policy in the race to succeed term-limited Gov. Jared Polis.
Phil Weiser, the state’s term-limited attorney general, is seeking the Democratic nomination’s advantage in a contest where he is considered the favorite. A former dean of the University of Colorado Law School and an antitrust official in the Obama administration, Weiser has made opposition to President Donald Trump a central campaign theme. His office has filed or joined nearly 100 lawsuits against the Trump administration, according to the campaign overview.
Weiser proposes helping build 40,000 additional homes, with an emphasis on housing for teachers, nurses and first responders. His plan includes streamlining permitting and expanding down-payment assistance. He also backs raising the spending limit under Colorado’s Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights to allow more funding for education and other essential services.
On labor policy, Weiser supports changing the state Labor Peace Act to remove a second worker vote required before unions can negotiate certain fees. The proposal would reverse a position taken by Polis, who vetoed similar legislation twice.
Republican Victor Marx, a first-time candidate from Colorado Springs, is presenting himself as an outsider who would challenge Democratic control of state government. A Marine veteran and martial artist, Marx runs All Things Possible Ministries, a nonprofit that works in conflict zones. His running mate is retired Marine Col. George Markert.
Marx wants to loosen environmental regulations as a way to increase housing supply, keep the second union vote requirement and conduct a comprehensive audit of state spending. He has also proposed zero-based budgeting, which requires agencies to justify their budgets from the ground up.
Marx’s personal history has drawn scrutiny. He has said he killed a man when he was 7 and has described a belief in his ability to exorcise demons. Weiser, the son and grandson of Holocaust survivors, frequently discusses his family’s history on the campaign trail.
Former Trump appointee Greg Lopez, now registered as unaffiliated, is running as an independent, though his campaign has not gained significant traction.
The next governor will take office amid a state budget crunch and rising costs, while navigating continued disputes with the Trump administration. Those pressures give the candidates’ competing proposals on housing, public spending and labor policy direct consequences for Colorado communities.