7 candidates are on the ballot. Below is what each one says they stand for, what they have actually done in office or in public life, and the arguments published for and against them — each quoted from a named source rather than summarised by us.
Medium confidenceMedium confidenceThe candidate's stated positions and basic record are documented, but coverage is thin — often little independent reporting, or criticism from only one side.What would raise it: More independent reporting, a documented voting record, or published criticism from a named opponent would raise this.
What they say they stand for
Their own words. Claims, not verified facts.
Driving down the cost of living.
Housing supply: ending parking minimums, allowing accessory dwelling units, and building modular homes at scale — 'If we start building modular homes at scale in Colorado, they are 20% cheaper than ordinary homes' and '30% quicker.' He says the approach should not be one-size-fits-all from the state.
Public safety, including support for Colorado's red flag law — 'a clear, reasonable restriction... we can save lives.'
Protecting the environment.
Improving youth mental health.
Opposition to the commutation of Tina Peters's sentence — 'She has been unrepentant... to commute a sentence when someone is completely unrepentant is wrong.'
What they’ve actually done
Documented record from official sources.
Attorney General of Colorado since January 2019; re-elected in 2022 and term-limited.
Former dean of the University of Colorado Law School.
As attorney general, sued opioid manufacturers and social media companies and pursued consumer fraud cases.
His office has litigated against the Trump administration over matters including SNAP benefit cuts and federal requests for personal information from Colorado voter rolls.
Won the June 30 2026 Democratic primary with about 56.9%, defeating U.S. Senator Michael Bennet.
Participated in the August 2026 general election debate, which the Republican nominee skipped.
Arguments in favor
His housing plan is specific and supply-focused — modular construction at scale, ending parking minimums, allowing accessory dwelling units — rather than a state mandate imposed on every community.
— Phil Weiser for Colorado campaign
He has eight years of running a statewide office, taking on opioid manufacturers and social media companies and pushing back on federal SNAP cuts and voter roll demands.
— Phil Weiser for Colorado campaign
He beat a sitting U.S. senator for the nomination and has united Colorado Democrats behind him while Republicans remain split.
— Colorado Democratic Party, as reported by Courthouse News
Arguments against
His lawsuits are 'clearly political lawsuits' — 'Taxpayers are subsidizing these political lawsuits... Weiser has made these lawsuits the centerpiece of his campaign.'
— Dick Wadhams, former Colorado Republican Party chair
His office has declined to release data on what his litigation has cost, citing the law rather than disclosing it.
— The Center Square
'Why in the world would we have to take a class to exercise our Second Amendment?' — his support for Colorado's gun restrictions burdens a constitutional right.
— Greg Lopez, unaffiliated candidate, in the August 2026 debate
What we couldn’t verify
His positions on state tax policy and TABOR were not established from a source read directly.
His plan for youth mental health beyond naming it a priority.
His campaign finance totals were not located.
The accuracy of the claim that his office is withholding litigation cost data could not be independently verified.
Founder of All Things Possible Ministries, a Colorado Springs-area evangelical nonprofit focused on trauma recovery and humanitarian work; author and speaker.
Former U.S. Marine.
Has said his ministry conducted rescue operations including missions to recover kidnapped girls from Islamic State territory.
Has long said his abusive stepfather forced him to kill someone when he was seven years old, and told KUSA in May 2026: 'I've been in other situations where, possibly, people or persons died as a result of me defending myself in other countries.' Asked whether he believed he had killed people as an adult, he replied, 'Does it matter?'
Won the June 30 2026 Republican primary with about 39.9% to Barbara Kirkmeyer's 39.4%.
Declined to participate in the August 2026 general election debate.
Has not previously held elected office.
Arguments in favor
His campaign is built on personal transformation — surviving childhood abuse, serving in the Marines, and then founding a ministry that works on trauma recovery — which he offers as the qualification for the job.
— Victor Marx for Governor campaign
He is a first-time candidate with no political career behind him, and beat a sitting state senator and a sitting state representative for the nomination.
— Victor Marx for Governor campaign, as reported by NBC News
He runs a nonprofit that he says has carried out humanitarian and rescue work abroad, including in Islamic State territory.
— All Things Possible Ministries
Arguments against
Central claims in his life story are unverifiable, and he has refused to answer questions about them — asked directly whether he had killed people as an adult, he said, 'Does it matter?'
— NBC News and KUSA reporting
He has not united his own party: his primary competitors have not endorsed him, and questions about his backstory persist as Republicans try to hold the coalition together.
— The Colorado Sun
He skipped the August 2026 general election debate, leaving the other two candidates to make their cases without him.
— Phil Weiser and Greg Lopez, at the August 2026 debate
What we couldn’t verify
His policy positions could not be established — no platform document or issues page was located, so standsFor is left empty rather than inferred.
His official campaign website could not be verified, so no URL is listed.
Whether his statements about deaths abroad refer to military service; NBC News reported this is unclear and he has not clarified.
Affordability, which he has made the centre of his campaign.
Housing: 'You have to evaluate what it costs to build a home... There's a lot that goes into developing that lot.'
Gun rights: 'Why in the world would we have to take a class to exercise our Second Amendment?'
Support for Governor Polis's commutation of Tina Peters's sentence, on the ground that an appellate court raised concerns about the trial judge.
Running outside the parties — 'I don't have to worry about political bosses.'
What they’ve actually done
Documented record from official sources.
U.S. Representative for Colorado's 4th congressional district for about six months in 2024, after a special vacancy election following Ken Buck's resignation.
Former mayor of Parker, Colorado.
Ran in the Republican gubernatorial primaries in 2018 and 2022 and lost both.
Changed his voter registration from Republican to unaffiliated in January 2026, after entering the 2026 race as a Republican.
Qualified for the November ballot in July 2026 with 1,000 valid signatures in each of Colorado's eight congressional districts, 8,000 in total.
Runs with Taralyn Romero, a Jefferson County property rights activist and health care worker.
Arguments in favor
He is running without a party organisation behind him — 'I don't have to worry about political bosses' — and did the work to qualify by petition in all eight congressional districts.
— Greg Lopez for Governor campaign
He has held elected office at both the municipal and federal level, which neither the Republican nominee nor his running mate can claim.
— Greg Lopez for Governor campaign
He showed up to the August general election debate and defended his positions on housing costs and gun rights while the Republican nominee did not attend.
— Colorado Politics reporting on the August 2026 debate
Arguments against
'Greg Lopez can say he's unaffiliated, but there's absolutely no doubt about his hard-right stances or his past' — there are effectively 'two far-right Republicans on the ballot for governor this year.'
— Colorado Democratic Party
His presence forces Republicans to keep propping up a nominee who barely won the primary, and functions as a conservative spoiler rather than an independent alternative.
— Colorado Democratic Party
He backed the commutation of Tina Peters's sentence — 'She has been unrepentant... to commute a sentence when someone is completely unrepentant is wrong.'
— Phil Weiser, Democratic nominee, in the August 2026 debate
What we couldn’t verify
His official campaign website could not be verified, so no URL is listed.
His positions on taxes, energy and education were not established from a source read directly.
His campaign finance totals were not located.
Whether his unaffiliated registration reflects a change in positions or only in party label.
Libertarian Party nominee for governor of Colorado in 2026.
Runs with Wayne Harlos for lieutenant governor.
Has not held statewide office.
Arguments in favor
We found none published about this candidate in the sources reviewed.
Arguments against
We found none published about this candidate in the sources reviewed.
What we couldn’t verify
His background and policy positions could not be established; no campaign website or platform document was located, so standsFor is left empty rather than filled in from the national Libertarian platform.
No advocacy for and no criticism of him by name could be found, so no arguments are listed on either side.
Positions and criticism are quoted from the named sources, not our assessments. This is built to help you start getting informed — confirm the official candidate list with your election authority before you vote.
Open seat: Democrat Jared Polis is term-limited. Roster established from Wikipedia's race page, Politics1, The Colorado Sun, Colorado Politics, Colorado Newsline, KUNC and NBC News, cross-checked. In the June 30 2026 primaries, Attorney General Phil Weiser won the Democratic nomination with about 56.9%, defeating U.S. Senator Michael Bennet; ministry founder Victor Marx won the Republican nomination with about 39.9% to state Senator Barbara Kirkmeyer's 39.4%. Colorado elects governor and lieutenant governor as a joint ticket. Former U.S. Representative Greg Lopez, who entered as a Republican and then unaffiliated in January 2026, qualified for the ballot in July by collecting 1,000 signatures in each of Colorado's eight congressional districts. Politics1's list also shows tickets for the American Constitution Party (Stephen Hamilton), the Approval Voting Party (Erik Underwood), the Libertarian Party (Eric Mulder) and the Unity Party (Jeff Peckman); Wikipedia additionally listed a No Labels candidate, Frederick Osborne, who does not appear on Politics1's list, so he is named here rather than profiled. The minor-party candidates are listed with empty argument sections — no organised advocacy for them and no criticism of them by name could be found. Forecasters rate this race Solid Democratic. Ballot order could not be confirmed.
This is one contest on a longer ballot
A Colorado ballot also carries state legislative districts, county offices, judicial seats and often local questions — and which of them you vote on is decided by your street address, not your city or ZIP code.