With Election Day right around the corner, Denver7 is working to highlight a number of races appearing on ballots throughout Colorado.

All voters have the chance to make their voice heard in the race to become Colorado's next governor, where one of their options is Republican nominee Victor Marx. Marx sat down for an interview with Denver7 on Wednesday and discussed a number of topics.

Denver7 conducted a similar conversation with Attorney General Phil Weiser, the Democratic candidate, last week.

Election day is Nov. 3.

Check out Denver7's voter guide for the 2026 midterm election here Watch the full interview with Victor Marx below: Note: The following transcript was edited for clarity Denver7 interviews Victor Marx, Republican Governor Nominee

Colette Bordelon: Let's start with a question that I've asked several other Republicans throughout this entire election cycle, but it'll be specific to your race. Colorado has not elected a Republican governor for more than two decades now. What makes you believe the state is ready for one now?

Victor Marx: Well, it's time. We're at a place in Colorado's history that actually, it's more than an election; it's a crisis point. The pain point people feel from the Western Slope to inner city I've traveled the state, over 600 events related to the campaign, closer to 700 now I've heard the pain point of people; they're done with politics as normal, and they're done with the one-party rule. Look, I don't hate Democrats. That's where some people in the Republican Party, they're like, you need to hate them more. I go out. I tend to try not to hate anybody, but a one-party rule has brought us to this place where the state is not affordable, and it's certainly not safe. It's time to hold people accountable. So, the timing is just right for me to win.

Colette Bordelon: Your past includes some ministry work.

Victor Marx: Yep.

Colette Bordelon: What is your stance on the separation of church and state?

Victor Marx: Great question. Well, if you look at it in the context of why it's such an issue, I think people misunderstand it. The separation of church and state is not to keep people of faith out of the public domain, politics. It's to keep the government out of people's faith. That's what it was intended for. I had an atheist walk up to me. I have two good little stories about atheists. One walked up to me. He goes, "You need to stop talking about God so much." I said, "Well, sir, that's my First Amendment. I choose to believe." He goes, "Well, you need keep it out of politics," and he was a Republican. And I go, "Well," I said, "Do you know what our state motto is?" And he goes, "No." I said, "In Latin, it's Nil Sine Numine, which means nothing without the providence of God." So, I said "it's on our seal." I said, "so I choose to exercise my right to uphold our motto and bring God into this." But yet, I'm not someone that is running to be a minister. I'm running to uphold our constitution, to be here for the people, and protect all faiths. But it was interesting. I had a guy catch me at a Walmart. Go, "Hey, I saw you on the the debate." I said, "You did." He goes, "Look, I'm an atheist. I don't have belief like you." He goes, "But I want to tell you why I'm voting for you." I said "Why?" He goes, "In the last one minute of the debate, you actually prayed. You could do anything you want in the closing argument, attack your opponents." He said, "You actually prayed for them and the moderators and for the state to be healed." He said, "That's why." I said, "But why?" He goes, "Any man that holds to his conviction like that on his faith, it's real." And he goes, "That's the character we need in a governor to rule and help people of Colorado. Thank you."

Colette Bordelon: Colorado's last governor, the one who will be leaving office, Governor Jared Polis, will have held that seat for eight years. Curious, what would you give his time in office if you had to give it a letter grade?

Victor Marx: Well, I think it speaks for itself. The state is not better from when he first came in. I think he did a couple of good things, but I look at it at the sum total. Our state is not more affordable. Businesses have left. People are considering moving, and you know, over 70% of the people have said they're not sure they can continue to live here. So, I think he did a horrible job in where the state should be compared to where it is, as is my opponent, who is part of that administration, the top cop, Weiser. He is our state's not safer. We're in the bottom tier of safety, so I do not think they did a great job. Homelessness has increased, fentanyl deaths, you name it, so I'm sure Governor Polis is actually ready to leave office and kind of get on with his life.

Colette Bordelon: Would you say like a D if you gave him a letter grade? F?

Victor Marx: It would be an F.

Colette Bordelon: Okay. If you had to classify yourself on the scale of a Republican, would you consider yourself falling more in the "Make America Great" ideology, more of a Reagan Republican? How would voters know what kind of Republican you are?

Victor Marx: I'm a Western conservative centrist. So, they've tried to place me in MAGA. I'm like, "I've never worn a hat." I appreciate Trump as a president, I like his leadership in some areas. Others, I don't agree with. That was one of the things that was brought up. "He hasn't endorsed you." I said, "No, he hasn't," and I'm not looking for it. I'm here to help the people of Colorado, and I've seen the dysfunction as an outsider. As an outsider, the dysfunction in politics is beyond what people can imagine, including the Republican Party. To this day, I'm now becoming their choice, even though I want it. But it took people adjusting, and some who just still can't stand me because I'm not MAGA enough... they're leaving the party. They're resigning, or getting out. I think that's a good choice on their behalf. But I'm here to be, not a Republican governor, but a governor for Coloradans.

Colette Bordelon: You mentioned President Donald Trump not listing your name in those endorsements, and you also mentioned I've heard in response to that you said "Well, yes, I'm an outsider." If elected to governor, can you afford to be an outsider if then you have to work with both chambers and with lawmakers who might be considered the insiders or the establishment?

Victor Marx: Yeah, well, they're working very hard to keep me out, which I think is why I'm the people's choice, because this is out of control. Again, I say: It's not just an election; it's a movement. But I look forward to working with people who maybe don't agree with me right now because once I'm governor, everything changes, and I will hold people accountable. I'll be very public about those who don't want to help Coloradans. And I believe we can all work together. My life has proved it. I've developed teams. I've worked in many countries. Didn't matter religion, race. It it didn't matter. It's just, "Are you a good person? Are you a naughty person? Do you really want to help folks?" And as a humanitarian, a business leader, that's kind of what I base it on. So, I'm looking forward to working with people who maybe, perhaps right now, don't want me in office or don't agree with me. But if the people elect me, I think folks will be surprised because I tell folks, I go, "I'm not a debater. I'm a negotiator," and that's real world experience right there.

Colette Bordelon: That leads nicely into my next question. Before the primaries, Denver7, The Denver Post, and Colorado Public Radio, we teamed up for a debate where we hosted your primary opponents, State Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer and State Rep. Scott Bottoms. I believe you declined our invitation to debate.

Victor Marx: Yes.

Colette Bordelon: Why is that?

Victor Marx: Well, I've said it from the beginning: Debates don't win elections, and the fact that I'm sitting here as the nominee proves my point. The strategy was different, but I did study all the other candidates, and I really realized none of them had a chance to win the general. And when I looked at the debates and even the forums, that's the Republicans' old playbook, and I just said, "We've only had one Republican governor in 50 years, so I'm not going to do what y'all have done." And it also showed my leadership to take a stand, to think outside of the box, to develop an army of people versus a small group. That's why we did the rallies instead. I've always wanted to reach the people of Colorado to find out what their pain is, and to start putting solutions together and run a campaign differently in order to win. So, the fact that we're sitting here proves that our strategy was correct.

Colette Bordelon: As part of that debate we hosted, we did make Kirkmeyer and Bottoms answer a series of yes or no questions. I hope you oblige me if I ask a few of those to you right now, so we can get your take on these too.

Victor Marx: Well, I'm not a yes and no...

Colette Bordelon: Let's see how you feel about them.

Victor Marx: Okay. All right.

Colette Bordelon: Did Joe Biden win the 2020 presidential election?

Victor Marx: He was certified. That's that.

Colette Bordelon: That's a yes?

Victor Marx: Yeah, I am focused on this. Back there, there's nothing we can do about that. But he was certified.

Colette Bordelon: Is Donald Trump eligible for another term?

Victor Marx: I don't no.

Colette Bordelon: No. [

Confirming Marx's response]

Colette Bordelon: Do you support the dismantling of NCAR, the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder?

Victor Marx: I want to do what's best for Colorado. I know the feds have stepped in to block that. I'd like to learn more about that issue when I'm governor.

Colette Bordelon: And then, if you were governor, would you work to bring Space Command back to Colorado?

Victor Marx: Absolutely, and more. We have a strong economic plan to bring businesses back, both those in the defense industry, tech, strengthen ag, ranchers. This matters and support small businesses all through our state in tourism.

Colette Bordelon: So, that sounds like a yes.

Victor Marx: The whole big thing.

Colette Bordelon: All right. Let's talk about Medicaid. Those costs have exploded in recent years. Experts point to three levers to control that cost. Those are cutting eligibility, cutting coverage, or cutting how much healthcare providers are paid. Which lever would you look at for potential cuts?

Victor Marx: Well, what I've said and what I plan to do, and what we've already started, is one: You have to do a complete audit of Medicaid. It's there to serve vulnerable Coloradans, and we need to protect access, reduce the waste. There is fraud going on because we have people coming to us already who are whistleblowers, and they're saying the amount of money being wasted and the fraud going on. So my goal is to, and I'll tell you, I didn't expect this when I entered the race, but hearing from families all over the state, who their services have been cut. Parents who are the primary caregivers for their children with special needs. Those folks under the Golden Dome cut 50% of their eligible hours. So, the key is to audit it, put right people in the places of leadership. Measure outcomes. Go back to zero-based budgeting, and find out where the fraud is, the waste, and take that money. There'll be so much extra money, I'm confident that we'll be able to put money back into TABOR for people to get refunds, and apply a ton of money for those needing the services that have already been cut.

Colette Bordelon: Would that audit be done using artificial intelligence, or is there a plan for such an audit?

Victor Marx: It's both and both. What I would encourage people to do is go to ColoradoWorksBetter.com. Right now, we've downloaded the budget, the Long Bill, and people will be able to see exactly where their money is being spent. You can put in your zip code, annual salary, the vehicles you own. You'll see where your money's going. The lack of transparency and accountability is what's caused this problem. But we'll correct it.

Colette Bordelon: And then, I am not sure if you read this article posted by The Denver Post, it was a candidate feature on yourself. But in that article, a political science professor said AI is already being used across state government, but he did say there's no way to audit the state out of caseload growth. What would be your response to that?

Victor Marx: Well, I think there's a lot of things that people say that can't be done, but we've not stepped into that place of leadership yet. That's what we specialize in. Just like what I told you, ColoradoWorksBetter.com. That's before I'm even governor. How come it's never been done before? So, I would disagree, but I think we're going to use technology and effective, high integrity leaders to make the difference with that.

Colette Bordelon: We were just talking about this just before you got here. The flooding in Pagosa Springs. We're also seeing more destructive fires and floods every year across Colorado. Is human-caused climate change contributing to that? And how does the state work to address that under your leadership?

Victor Marx: I'd say poor management of our forestry system is more to blame than anything. They have failed to thin. They have failed to, after fires, get everything out of there and clean up. This causes problems not only future fires, but our water retention system, and of course, water is such a big issue. So I'm confident that putting people in the right places. I just got a text this morning from a dear friend. There's a plan already in place to affect all of this, which I believe will affect positively our insurance rates here, mitigation, forestry threading, the conservation aspect that is based on science, not just kind of wild ideologies. When we are able to do that, and as my friend said, who he's a subject matter expert, Travis, shout out to you, brother but you know what? He said all we need is a governor that will be our overwatch to allow us to take care of our state. The problem is, you have people who really don't understand forestry. I went out when one of the fires was happening recently, and met with firefighters that were ready to hop on the helos and bring more. It breaks my heart how much damage, the level of anxiety. Every year people are just going 'Ah!' So again, better leadership in these areas will make a difference.

Colette Bordelon: Would you ever accept mandatory cuts to our allocation of the Colorado River in dry years?

Victor Marx: You know, we've studied the water issue. I'm definitely, I'm actually a water rights holder, and I believe what we should be doing right now is repairing reservoirs while we've been in this drought. I look forward to putting a water liaison in my office, and then looking at where we can actually make the biggest change for the future. And as governor, I'm going to fight for our water rights and protect ranchers and ag folks. I was just down in San Luis Valley. They're terrified, and I think again, it boils down to leadership. So, we'll address everything when it's there, at each point.

Colette Bordelon: It sounds like the fight to ensure that we would not take on mandatory cuts as Coloradans.

Victor Marx: Well, we shouldn't have to. Yeah, from our basin and who we are, we're the headwaters, Colorado. We deserve the water, and we'll continue to work. But you know, I get concerned when the feds step in, start making decisions that could negatively affect us. So, yeah, fighting for our water rights is key with me.

Colette Bordelon: Let's move on to a different kind of policy topic. Your choice for lieutenant governor on Fox31 had said that he would work to rescind the protections for abortion that are codified in the Colorado Constitution. Previous Republican gubernatorial nominees in the last two cycles, those include Walker Stapleton and Heidi Ganahl, they had said that they were anti-abortion, but with exceptions for things like rape or incest. Would you support exceptions on an abortion ban in cases of rape or incest?

Victor Marx: For me, I tell people simply this: [I'm] for life, and as governor, this issue it's not even really an issue because it's been codified in our constitution. For me, I am for life, and I tell two stories that are reality. One, I was conceived under not great circumstances. I think you read my book, but you know, the night my mom got pregnant, my biological dad shoved rosary beads down her throat, put a pistol to her head. She had three other children, and I suffered as a kid. So, a lot of people would have said, "Wouldn't it have been better that your mother aborted you?" She had that option, but I'm glad she didn't, because the amount of kids and women we've helped over our lifetime, my wife and I, I don't know who would have done it. And in the same token, while being overseas, a young girl she was 10 years old when she was kidnapped by ISIS, and she had been so brutally raped. By 11, she was pregnant, and her body was not couldn't carry the baby, and I remember seeing her, she was swelling, she was dying, and I remember they took her to Germany to save her life. After we saved her, and her life was saved, versus both of them dying. So, I'm just for life, all the way around, best we can. I hate the evil, and what I would hope in our state, those watching, is there would be punishments that fit the crime. Right now, do you know that 70% of child rapists get probation in our state? That's under my opponent Phil Weiser's lack of leadership. So, victims must be protected. Life is a beautiful thing, and we must help mothers, young women who get pregnant. Maybe they don't want to. We've got to help them with options, whether it's adoption or support in many years. That's what I'm for. I wish my mother had more support, but I'm proud of her for keeping me.

Colette Bordelon: So, it sounds like no exceptions for rape or incest.

Victor Marx: I am happy with my answer.

Colette Bordelon: Okay. And would you work to rescind those protections? Or it sounds like the protections in the Constitution you would let lie.

Victor Marx: It is what it is, right now.

Colette Bordelon: Let's talk about campaign finances. So, your campaign team was hit with what state officials believe was one of the largest, if not the largest, fine related to excess campaign finances in history. Court documents say you've taken full responsibility for accepting donations over the legal limit. Your team has said the fine will be appealed. Where are you guys at in that process?

[BACKGROUND: The hearing officer found that the Marx Campaign committed 200 violations of the contribution limits and 10 violations of the cash contribution limits, totaling $83,758.32 in excess contributions. For those violations, the hearing officer imposed a total fine of $57,647.16 on the campaign.]

Victor Marx: We're appealing it, and I tell folks, "Man, what an incredible problem to have." First-time candidate. We brought so many people into this political process who've never given they don't know the rules of giving, and there were so many people that were so generous that they were giving we got overwhelmed. I think we're up to close to 50,000 individual donations, and where the average is 88 bucks, the limit is $1,450. And so, our team member, bless his heart, he was just trying to get them back as fast as he could. There's a 10-day window, and he wasn't able to get all of them back. There was about 200 of them. Now, they've all been returned, but some over. We've been transparent from the beginning. We never hid anything. We didn't spend that money. We held on to it until we could get it back. So, I think this is a great example of how our state, under one-party rule, will weaponize whatever they can to keep people from coming into positions that would ruin what they've had. So yeah, we, not only is it not fair. I mean, did you know that the Secretary of State they have their own lawyers, but they actually brought in one of the most expensive lawyer firms in Denver to help build a case to try to justify this excessive ridiculous fines? And currently, it's what's recommended. It's not mandatory right now. That's why we're appealing it, and we believe we'll win.

[BACKGROUND: As of Wednesday, Oct. 28, a spokesperson with the Colorado Secretary of State's (SOS) Office tells Denver7 no exception has been filed by the Marx campaign. Court documents show that exceptions must be filed within 30 days of the initial decision, which was issued on Oct. 2. Extensions can be granted for "good cause."]

Colette Bordelon: And then, did you guys change the way because I know in the hearing, Gregory Carlson talks about how he knew that some of the checks were over $1,450 but he would deposit them, knowing that he would refund them. Has he changed that strategy?

Victor Marx: Yes. We, because there's no other, there was no other way to do it. We've since brought in some extra help, and it's been very good.

[BACKGROUND: During the Sept. hearing, Carlson identifies himself as the registered agent for the campaign and claims he takes the excess contributions very seriously. Still, Carlson claimed it was exceedingly difficult to catch them all and acknowledged he told his staff to accept the larger donations, saying they would refund the overages.]

Colette Bordelon: And then, we have seen some articles where critics have claimed that money is being used to enrich yourself. What is your response to that?

Victor Marx: Well, who said that? And what are the facts?

Colette Bordelon: In the Colorado Sun, Mario Nicolais made an allegation that says [if true] he enriched himself based on their desire to help win the governor's office.

Victor Marx: Yeah, I love the word allegations. That's all they are. None of it's true, and it's not factual.

Colette Bordelon: In a prior interview with us, you called claims against you, "propaganda," and said they've been proven false. Which specific claim were you talking about, and what proof are you citing?

Victor Marx: Well, which one are you bringing up? Because the lawyer, Grant Van Der Jagt, who was vehemently against me in the primary, when we came into the general, he actually stopped, did his own investigation of all the allegations that were brought on by an individual who we still pray for her, and he's friends with her, and he ended up putting on social media every allegation was just false or misleading. So, we've always known that. We've never felt any compulsion to fight back or defend ourselves because it's just nonsense.

Colette Bordelon: Well, and I guess I should clarify: I was not mentioning anything specific in this direct question, this was just a quote that you gave to us on the 18th, where you said all the allegations they've been proven false. I just wanted to check, what were you referencing?

Victor Marx: All of them.

Colette Bordelon: All of them.

Victor Marx: Yeah.

Colette Bordelon: What does that include?

Victor Marx: If you, if anybody goes online, looks up Grant Van Der Jagt, he's listed allegations, you know, and then he's proven how they're false. There's no merit in them, and that's the thing that surprises most about politics, and even, you know, this was coming from a so-called Republican, which she's now leaving the party here, but you know what? You can't stop people. I follow Winston Churchill's approach. He says, "If you stop to pick up a rock and throw at every dog that's barking, you'll never reach your destination." So I appreciate the lawyer going through all this, and it's always been on those who make these accusations, allegations, to prove that what they're trying to prove is true. They can't. They're just allegations. So, we're it never stopped us in the primary. It won't stop us in the general.

Colette Bordelon: So, that was more of a general statement. That's fair for me to say that was more of a general statement?

Victor Marx: Well, it's factual that every lie and accusation against us he has proven was false, and people can see it online.

Colette Bordelon: And then, this is a topic that has to be difficult to discuss I imagine. You said that as a child, your abusive stepfather forced you to kill a man. How did that affect you?

Victor Marx: Well, how do you think it affected any child?

Colette Bordelon: I'm not sure.

Victor Marx: It was devastating. That was one incident in my young childhood of many that was horrible, horrific. All childhood abuses, whether you're beaten, whether you're betrayed, whether you're... like recently, a mother left her three children while she went to Vegas. And we've seen a slew of children being killed by one of their primary caregivers. For me, child abuse is one of the worst indicators of how a society is. I suffered, but I've never played a victim, and I'm grateful that God redeemed my life, and I did my part to go through counseling. It was over 123 visits in nine months, and I'm thankful for what I call "soul surgeons" psychologists, psychiatrists that will help people who've suffered childhood abuse, or anything in their life.

Colette Bordelon: And then, in past interviews, we've watched people press you on what it meant when you said that your actions may have led to the deaths of other people in your adult life. Can you provide any context as to when and where you were referencing in those moments?

Victor Marx: Middle East, on humanitarian missions in combat zones to bring relief to women or children, and we were in the thick of it. It's documented. You can go to our YouTube channel and see. There's videos where, I mean, ISIS is shooting at us. We, the work that we did was very leading edge, and there were times that we came under attack. Our rules of engagement as humanitarians that were oftentimes embedded with the Peshmerga, the Rocky forces. If we came under fire, we had a right to defend ourselves. Which there were times, I returned fire, and what I tell people is, I cannot tell you that I ended someone's life because I didn't go and check. We're not kicking doors in. We're not a direct action. It's just our approach to defending ourselves... I'll go back to the one thing, because I've had people say, "I thought you were doing missionary and humanitarian work. Why are you carrying a weapon?" I just go, "Well, I mean, we have a right to carry a weapon here in the U.S. If somebody attacked us or broke into your home, you defend yourself. That's all we did." So yeah, I hate that war does what it does, but I'm grateful of the lives we saved, and are still keeping in contact with, and that's the bigger story. It's not me trying to defend myself or those who have been entrusted to me, killed. It's the lives we save.

Colette Bordelon: I want to give one wrap-up question if I have the time.

Victor Marx: You do.

Colette Bordelon: Would you have three words to describe what kind of governor you would be if sent to that seat by Coloradans?

Victor Marx: Three words.

Colette Bordelon: Yes, people hate this question or they love it.

Victor Marx: Yeah. I would say measured, prayerful, and intentional to help the people of Colorado.

With less than two weeks until Colorado voters decide who will be the state's next governor, Denver7 sat down with the Democratic nominee vying for the position, Attorney General Phil Weiser.

The full interview with Weiser, where topics ranged from water issues to the state budget, is transcribed in this article.

Election day is Nov. 3.

Read more of Denver7's stories on Colorado politics here Watch the full interview with AG Phil Weiser below: Note: This video and the following transcript were edited for clarity full Weiser interview.mp4

Colette Bordelon: I've heard people say Attorney General basically means almost governor or something of the sort.

Phil Weiser: Yes, I've said that. I believe that. I do.

Colette Bordelon: What do you think of that little colloquialism?

Phil Weiser: There's not a better job in state government to understand all the agencies, all the issues, and to work with the people of Colorado directly. Take the opioid crisis, for example. Identified this challenge, saw that big pharma had fueled it, got back close to a billion dollars, worked with local governments, created a framework to make sure that money was spent well, it's been rated the best framework in the U.S. from Johns Hopkins School of Public Health all the way to John Oliver, and over the last couple of years, we've seen over 20% decline in opioid overdoses. That's problem solving. That's my government leadership, and that's type of leadership I've proven I can bring to the governor's office.

Colette Bordelon: It is Saturday, Oct. 10. We are less than a month away from Nov. 3. How are you feeling?

Phil Weiser: I'm feeling both good about the campaign we've run, and disappointed that I'm running a campaign against someone who's not showing up for any debates, any unscripted appearances. We had the one time on stage together, and he got the questions in advance and read the answers. I don't believe democracy is well served when people stay in their own bubbles, when they don't answer questions or engage the public. That's why, in both my primary campaign and my general election campaign, I went all across Colorado with a real simple message: I'm here to listen to, to serve, and get things done for the people of Colorado.

Colette Bordelon: Did you also get those questions in advance?

Phil Weiser: I did.

Colette Bordelon: What was your reaction? Had you gotten questions in advance prior in any of the debates, forums, town halls that you had done?

Phil Weiser: No, no. I've been in forums in Colorado Springs, in Grand Junction. I've been in forums in my primary campaign. I've been in forums in this very studio, and they don't give you the questions in advance. In this case, by the way, I think they also had a moderator change too. All because I take it, my opponent Victor Marx doesn't want to go outside his comfort zone. But here's a problem: If you're governor, you're going outside your comfort zone, and you have to be ready to show up. People deserve to know who you are, deserve answers. That's why my campaign is about showing up, serving the people of Colorado.

Colette Bordelon: You have been campaigning all across the state, but I'm interested to know if you were chosen as Colorado's next governor, how would you work with state lawmakers?

Phil Weiser: My mindset and what is, again, the almost governor part of the AG job is, I've been doing this. Colorado lawmakers have worked with me on a range of laws, and the relationship is fundamentally a collaborative one. My question to lawmakers when they have an idea is, 'What problem are we trying to address? How can we best address it?' When I come to them with an idea, 'I've got a concern about privacy, protecting privacy of Colorado citizens. I've got some ideas on how to address it. What do you think?' That's what collaboration looks like. That's how we get better public policy.

Colette Bordelon: I did an interview with Congresswoman Lauren Boebert, and she said that if you are elected as governor, Colorado will be wishing to have Gov. Jared Polis back. What is your response to that statement from Ms. Boebert?

Phil Weiser: Did she say what she meant by that?

Colette Bordelon: She, I know, on primary night, I also talked to her, and I was curious to know how she was feeling as the results were rolling in, and she was saying she wished [Sen. Michael] Bennet would have had this nomination.

Phil Weiser: I don't know what Congresswoman Boebert is thinking about how I'm going to be as governor, but I would say she's got a bigger problem. She could lose her race because Eileen Laubacher is running an incredible campaign. She's a rear admiral, and she is showing up for rural Colorado, and what I can tell all of the Fourth Congressional District I will show up for you. I've been showing up for the Fourth Congressional District. The reason she's in a tough campaign is, sometimes, people are sick of the drama. They want people to focus on getting results. Eileen's going to do that. I'm going to do that.

Colette Bordelon: How many lawsuits have you filed against the Trump administration as of today?

Phil Weiser: Eighty-seven. We're bordering on 90 at this point.

Colette Bordelon: I've heard some critiques saying they believe those lawsuits were politically motivated. What is your response to that?

Phil Weiser: Let's say Lauren Boebert says that my lawsuits are politically motivated. I would say to her, 'Which lawsuits should I not have filed?' It's easy... easy to make that statement, but then what's hard? Look down the list. The last one I filed, and it's typical. This federal government is denying us money for unemployment insurance. It's money that we're entitled to. It's money that will help people at a vulnerable point in their lives. Why are they denying it? We don't know. There's no basic reason. There's no justification in law, so if Lauren Borber or someone else said, Phil, why are you doing this? It's political. I'd be like, 'Are you serious? Colorado needs this money. We're entitled to this money.' When I talk to even the most conservative business leaders, I'd make the following point: If you have a contract, and the person you're contracting says, 'You know what? We got the goods from you, but we're not going to pay you for it.' Would you say, 'Okay, we'll give up the money,' or would you say, 'That's wrong? I'm going to fight back for what's right.'

Colette Bordelon: I also did an interview with District Attorney Michael Allen, running for your current spot right now as Attorney General, and I asked him out of the lawsuits you had filed if there would be one that he could point to that he would drop, or that he would not litigate. And at first, he said he didn't want to get into specifics. Then he did point to the Space Command lawsuit, after I mentioned that he had brought it up on Jeff Hunt's show. What do you think about the Space Command lawsuit? Does he have any leg to stand on when he says he would be dropping that because he believes the president has the power to move Space Command, and we shouldn't be involved in that decision?

Phil Weiser: Sadly, if Michael Allen is saying that I am bringing lawsuits that are political, or I shouldn't have brought the Space Command lawsuit, he's making the case why voters shouldn't support him. Let me tell you why: In that same lawsuit, we're protecting NCAR, the National Center for Atmospheric Research. It's a crown jewel for Colorado, and you know what, we've had a successful litigation. NCAR is protected because of litigation, both by us and a parallel lawsuit. Also, in that same lawsuit, you know what we found in discovery? And this is jaw-dropping: A White House meeting called for the purpose of, 'How do we punish Colorado?' So, if anybody, Lauren Boebert or Michael Allen, have an attitude (of), 'we're not going to be a check on a lawless federal government,' my answer is: You're not doing the job to fight for Colorado, because when Colorado's harmed, whether it's threats to our elections or not getting money that we deserve, I believe in standing up for what's right and fighting back.

Colette Bordelon: What would be the primary difference between a Gov. Weiser within the Colorado State Capitol and Gov. Polis? What would be the primary difference between these two?

Phil Weiser: There are probably a few different points. I want to focus on one that's meaningful to me: It's around social media and big technology companies. I have pushed for oversight and accountability of big tech. We know that kids are hurting, and that social media platforms are doing things that hurt our kids, making it easier for kids to get access to guns and fentanyl. I pushed a bill that would have had real accountability and oversight on social media companies. Gov. Polis vetoed that bill. As governor, I'll sign it.

Colette Bordelon: That segues nicely into the Meta settlement. I talked with Lori Shott on the day that that settlement came down, and one of the things that struck me is, she said that you called her before the news broke and you talked to her. Is that emblematic of how you treat people on the other end of these lawsuits?

Phil Weiser: It's really important to bring up Lori and her courage. Lori lost her daughter Anna, who died by suicide, and I've talked to other parents who've lost kids to suicide, or as we talked earlier, about opioids and fentanyl. And what I promise is, when I'm serving the people of Colorado, we need to make sure everyone is treated with respect and that we're partners together. Lori's leadership inspires me. And so, as we think about questions like, how do we make sure the money that we get from that settlement is spent well, how do we make sure we protect our kids, how do we make sure that Meta is following the commitment made, having partners like Lori who see things from the ground? It's essential.

Colette Bordelon: That segues nicely into AI, regulating AI. That was something that we did see lawmakers work alongside Gov. Polis to do. Are there any other regulations you would like to see Colorado take on when it comes to artificial intelligence?

Phil Weiser: I want to make one point on this because it's really important. Artificial intelligence and new technologies can be used for good things or bad things. Here's a bad thing: Helping corporate landlords fix prices, engage in collusion that jack up rents. Say here in Denver, and there was a study from the White House, the Biden White House, that said it was over like $130 per month that rents were going up because of using this technology in a way that's for bad. I would ban that sort of harmful technology. That's the challenge we have with AI. How do we channel it for so much possibility, innovation, new jobs, making life better, and how do we make sure we have the right guard? That we don't do things that make life more expensive in the case of rents going up or harming kids, like through AI chatbots.

Colette Bordelon: We saw also in the state legislature this year two different data center bills that were essentially competing data center bills. Both died. I'm curious, which side of the coin do you fall on when it comes to those different pieces of legislation?

Phil Weiser: My view on data centers is a common sense view, and I've said I want this to be the first bill that we get done because last year we ended up getting close, but we didn't get a bill at all. And there's three critical guardrails we need. First, I don't want communities having data centers shoved down their throats. If they don't want a data center because it's noisy and interferes with community, we don't need to have it there. Second, electricity rates need to be protected. Consumers shouldn't be paying for the energy for data centers. These companies should. And finally, how do we make sure we are consistent with our clean energy commitments, protecting our water? A great example of a data center that could meet those three goals is Northwest Colorado. We're closing coal plants. People in Hayden, people in Craig are going to lose jobs in coal plants. But what if we have a data center powered by geothermal energy, where they can employ those losing jobs in coal plants? That is a win-win opportunity. That's type of data center development that makes sense for Colorado.

Colette Bordelon: If you are Colorado's next governor, you are inheriting quite an interesting predicament with the budget situation, especially when it comes to our state Medicaid program, which is growing at a faster rate than any of the portion of the budget and taking up roughly a third of that cost. I believe it was said in the last meeting with HCPF that if it continues at this rate, it would crowd out most other spending by the year 2040-ish. Are there any ideas you have to ensure that Medicaid spending is reined in while still not hurting the families who rely upon those services?

Phil Weiser: You have put your finger exactly on the challenge. How do we identify where we can save money, where we can operate more efficiently, where we can prevent wasteful spending while recognizing Medicaid supports care, often for the most vulnerable. This is going to be one of the most important and challenging things I have to do. Let me tell you how I'll approach it. First off, the legislature now has this Medicaid commission. They're looking for ideas on how to do this. I will be a partner, like I mentioned earlier collaborator in how we figure this out. I'll make sure I'm listening to families on the ground and ask them that question. We get to be transparent. We can't keep Medicaid spending the way it is. What can we do to check this spending so that it doesn't take over our state budget? And then we got to try some experiments to see what works. I am a big believer that if we are listening to one another, we're trying different things, we can take on these challenges. This is going to be a big one for us.

Colette Bordelon: I believe you are in support of Proposition NN, but I'm curious: Some Coloradans are concerned about how that would impact our TABOR refunds, taking them away entirely, and then also with this not being a permanent thing, how it would play out in the future. What would you say to those concerned voters when they're looking at Proposition NN and thinking, "Wait, this is my TABOR money, and what about the government spending, and what's going to check this in a few years?"

Phil Weiser: I've got a few important comments about NN: The first is we have underfunded education in Colorado through what was known as the BS factor, which I know this is a family show. It means budget stabilization. This is a $10-billion hole, a hollowing out of education. We're paying our teachers less than surrounding states do. We've got bigger class sizes, fewer school days, and we've taken away career and technical education or youth mental health services. We got a lot to do to bring our educational system to where it needs to be. That's number one. That's my first reason to vote for it. Second, to your point, I am committed to effective oversight and ensuring that we do get real results that we spend this money smartly, and I'm going to make sure that we build a plan from the grassroots up about how we invest in our kids' future, so that taxpayers know your money is going to our kids' future. I believe, done correctly, investing in our kids' future is the best investment we can make.

Colette Bordelon: The Front Range Passenger Rail issues that we saw on the ballot. I'm curious, why should voters have faith in this system with such a mistake that's been made?

Phil Weiser: I haven't taken a position on Front Range Passenger Rail, and I know voters are asking, does it make sense at a time when I feel squeezed to put more money into it? Those questions are ones that include: Part of it's already funded. Why would you build another fund base before you've actually built out the first part? I understand those questions. I'm asking them. I'm going to come to rest on this issue, but I've not taken a possession on position on that issue yet.

Colette Bordelon: Would you agree to mandatory cuts when it comes to dry years related to the Colorado River?

Phil Weiser: This is an important and subtle question. So I'm not going to go into negotiations, making cuts that are somehow not warranted under the law, or that are us giving up our rights in a way that is disadvantageous. And here is our reality: We have less water than we had 10 or 20 years ago. That's because of climate change. We have increasing population. We can't deficit finance water. So what we need to do, and what my leadership will bring, is a new mindset. Water is a precious resource. We should treat it that way. We shouldn't leave reservoirs open to evaporation loss, we should cover them with solar panels, cutting evaporation loss by as much as 40%. We should be asking: Can we xeriscape more lawns here in Denver so that we're saving water? Can we reuse water again and again in more effective ways? And how do we smartly store water? So, we need leadership on water because we have less of it because it's essential to our lives here in Colorado.

Colette Bordelon: What will be your stance on the Worker Protection Act? I know that's coming back this next session with Gov. Polis having vetoed it twice. Obviously, it would eliminate that second vote in the unionization process here in Colorado. What would you do if this bill came across your desk?

Phil Weiser: What I've said on this is, I do believe we need to change what is an antiquated Labor Peace Act that makes it harder to organize. And the way that we make this change, this gets back to the first point about being collaborative, is to bring the business community and labor together and ask questions, which is, 'What do you need, and what can you give up? How can we work together to get to a better solution?' So that's how I will get to how we change our state labor law, how we deal with the fact that there are real concerns about Colorado's not as competitive as we need to be.

Colette Bordelon: There was a yes or no question I asked during the debate, and I knew you and Senator Michael Bennet really wanted to expand upon it, and I didn't let either of you. So I'm going to let you do it now. Should Colorado continue overriding local control to build more housing?

Phil Weiser: This is a very important point because if you're thinking about my goal to build 40,000 more starter homes, homes that teachers know they can afford to live in communities like Denver or Jefferson County, homes that young people could buy at an earlier age. It used to be, you could buy a home at age 30 or so. That's actually how old I was when I bought my first home in Colorado. Now that number is 40 and rising. So we have an imperative here. There is often this, as you put it, binary choice: Do you override local control or respect it? And it's not quite so easy. There is an intermediate point, which is: Do you create some guardrails, things like allowing people to build ADUs on their homes, or we don't have developers have to have parking minimums. But also, the state can be a leader by showing the way, by providing incentives, encouragement, setting goals. We need to build more of that type of dense housing, think townhomes, condominiums, and we need to make sure it's at a price point that works. So I'm going to provide leadership where I lean in, work with willing localities, and create a culture of, 'Hey, we're working to meet this goal together.'

Colette Bordelon: I'm curious. When you were younger, did you know you wanted to get into politics?

Phil Weiser: No, my younger self would have said, 'I'm committed to public service,' and as recently as 2016, my commitment would be, 'I am rooting for Hillary Clinton to become president, and I'll go join a Hillary Clinton administration,' like I joined a Bill Clinton administration, like I joined a Barack Obama administration. But 2016 for me, like a lot of people, was a game changer. For those who understand the theory of the multiverse, we're in the wrong timeline because for me, the right timeline would have been she won that race. She didn't. I had to think, what do I do to serve, and that's what put me on this journey to run to be attorney general, now running to be governor. And what's been amazing for me is my mindset went from appointed service at the federal level to elected service at the state level, and for that I'm grateful because serving the people of Colorado at the state level in elected capacity is so meaningful. Just like you said for Lori Shaw, I get to know people who are affected by the issues I work on, whether it's social media, the opioid crisis, a proposed merger between Kroger and Albertsons, and I know those people by name. I know their communities. I know who I'm fighting for. This is incredibly meaningful work to me. It's why I want to keep serving in elected office as Colorado's next governor.

Colette Bordelon: Would you have three words to describe what what kind of governor you would be if sent to that seat by Coloradans?

Phil Weiser: I will be collaborative. I will be innovative, and I will always respect the people of Colorado, treating them authentically, transparently, and always honestly, I believe in service. That's my why.

Colette Bordelon: The Department of Justice is suing Denver over what federal government claims is an unconstitutional mask ban targeting federal agents and other law enforcement officers. That ordinance signed into law earlier this year bans immigration officers wearing face coverings. Is that actually an unconstitutional law based off of your understanding of this?

Phil Weiser: This administration is pushing envelopes right and left. The fact that they have law enforcement officers breaking from best practice, wearing masks in almost all cases, really, to me, is a problem from sound law enforcement and undermines public safety. Denver, California did this too. They are taking important safeguards, safeguards that I'm doing my best to defend. There are legal issues that are raised here, and there's public policy issues here as well. My view is we don't want masked rogue agents, we need transparent, trustworthy law enforcement. That's the principle I'm going to keep fighting for.

Colette Bordelon: Do you ever get tired?

Phil Weiser: I have a lot of energy.

Colette Bordelon: I did, during our primary election when we were interviewing with certain candidates in this one-on-one kind of a format, You participated in the debate, so I did not do this with you. I did ask people for a fact that voters wouldn't know about you, like a fun fact.

Phil Weiser: I mentioned before the theory of the multiverse, alternative timelines. What I didn't say then, which I will share with you now, in one alternative timeline, I'd be a sportscaster doing play-by-play, maybe on TV, maybe on radio. That's what I did in college for baseball, basketball, and football. And I'm still a huge sports fan. Things could have gone that way. Instead, here I am in public service.

Colette Bordelon: Also, I think it was CPR a few years back, did a cool piece asking what the mayoral candidates you know how the mayor has that little spiel that they say on the DIA train. (CORRECTION: The Colorado Sun did the DIA train story)

Phil Weiser: Oh yeah, yeah, yeah.

Colette Bordelon: If you got to do a spiel over, like, an Avs game...

Phil Weiser: Well, can I do Nuggets?

Colette Bordelon: Yeah.

Phil Weiser: Okay. Nuggets fans, we're experiencing the Nikola Jokic experience it's once in a lifetime. Enjoy this incredible Colorado leader who represents us at our best. We look out for one another. We help others win. We root for one another. Jokic, we love you. Enjoy, fans.