Over the weekend, GOP gubernatorial nominee Victor Marx made a whistle stop at Cowboy at the Cross Church in the small town of Austin.
Marx is an unconventional candidate. His claims of performing exorcisms, rescuing over 40,000 women and children from trafficking, and shooting a man when he was seven, have captured attention across the country. They’ve also been widely challenged.
Marx’s victory in the GOP primary this summer was shocking to some, but seeing him speak in person helps the pieces fall in place. He’s a charismatic speaker, with this whistle stop serving as both a campaign stump speech and a comedy show.
Marx’s platform focuses heavily on culture war issues, so you might expect his jokes to ruffle a feather or two. But largely, his humor mostly points at himself.
Marx tells the crowd, “I've had these people say, ‘that guy ain't fit to serve. He can't string 2 sentences together.’ I said, I've stringed 3 before.”
Though he bucks the "politician" label, Marx has a certain presence on stage that many career campaigners would be jealous of. Towards the beginning of his speech, he mentions the Second Amendment, saying “I believe there's responsibility that comes with ownership of firearms, but hey, nobody in the state should be infringing on our Second Amendment rights.”
As he finishes that sentence, he raises his right arm upwards to emphasize his point. The movement pulls back his black sportcoat and reveals a black handgun tucked into his waistband. It sits against a crisp, perfectly ironed white shirt— you can’t miss it. It’s a captivating moment that feels both choreographed and natural.
When Marx isn’t cracking a joke or performing, his language is deeply combative. He describes the state of Colorado politics as a battle, and says that “you can’t have someone that’s nice” to win.
And If Colorado is a battlefield, Marx frames himself as a soldier throughout the speech. “That's why I think God called me 'Cause I'm a fighter and I know how to get hit. Look at my nose. I've been hit so many times,” he tells the crowd.
Marx did touch on culture war issues, just not in a joking manner. He describes his friendship with Caitlyn Jenner, but doesn’t use her correct name or pronouns. Then comes a far-right rallying cry: “It's the trans community that's doing a lot of killing and shooting.” The crowd murmurs in agreement.
Frequently in his speech, Marx describes Colorado as a state under threat. At one point, he blamed state leaders for intentionally trying to drive residents away.
“There are other people intentionally trying to get you to quit and move away. Do you know that? It's real. It's not a conspiracy theory,” he tells the crowd. “Those folks up in Denver under that golden dome, they couldn't be more intentional in trying to destroy a state than what they've done these last 8 years.”
Marx has refused to appear at a moderated debate, but will join his opponent Phil Weiser for a quote "lively conversation" hosted by the Colorado Chamber, a statewide business association, on October 8th.