Election Day, Nov 3 9 daysSenate D 78%House D 93%Governors D 86%Forecast updated Oct 25

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Governor · Colorado · open seat

Colorado Governor

Phil Weiser vs Victor Marx

ForecastD +23.0
Democrat>99%
Republican<1%
RatingSafe D
Full forecast
Brief me as

Neutral view. Pick a side and the War Room briefs you as that campaign's operative.

Vital signs

Campaign health, 0 to 100, from public money, outside spending, ballots and activity
DemocratPhil WeiserStable
690100
  • Money weight 2561

    Raised $1.7M against $1.1M for Victor Marx.

  • Cash weight 2082

    $725K in the bank against $158K for Victor Marx.

  • Early vote weight 1565

    Registered Democrats cast 33% of the 727,322 ballots in Colorado so far, against 25% for the other party. That is 4.9 points better for Democrats than the forecast expected by now. Counts registration, not votes.

RepublicanVictor MarxCritical
310100
  • Money weight 2539

    Raised $1.1M against $1.7M for Phil Weiser.

  • Cash weight 2018

    $158K in the bank against $725K for Phil Weiser.

  • Early vote weight 1535

    Registered Republicans cast 25% of the 727,322 ballots in Colorado so far, against 33% for the other party. That is 4.9 points worse for Republicans than the forecast expected by now. Counts registration, not votes.

How each side wins

From the forecast, the polls, the county map, voter groups, money and ballots
If you work for Phil Weiser
  1. Protect the lead

    Phil Weiser leads by 23.0 in the forecast and wins 100% of simulations. The cushion is about 651,760 votes; a one point swing is about 14,187 voters changing sides.

  2. The range

    In 8 of 10 simulations the result lands between D +13.7 and D +31.8. Only an unusual polling error changes the winner.

  3. Turn out the base

    The biggest vote banks for Democrats: Denver, a projected net 235,559 votes; Boulder, a projected net 118,993 votes; Arapahoe, a projected net 104,915 votes. Every point of extra turnout here is worth more than persuasion anywhere else.

  4. Win the battlegrounds

    The large counties within 12 points: El Paso, D +1.3, 11.8% of the vote; Douglas, D +4.9, 7.1% of the vote; Pueblo, D +2.0, 2.7% of the vote; Garfield, D +11.3, 1.0% of the vote.

  5. Where you run behind the 2024 map

    Against the 2024 presidential vote, Phil Weiser runs furthest behind in Pueblo, Mesa, Weld. That is where the forecast sees voters who backed your side two years ago and have not come back yet.

  6. The coalition levers

    Groups big enough to move the race: White voters, 76% of voters, 54 to 42, where a 5 point gain is worth 3.77 points; Voters who cast ballots in 2022 and 2024, 73% of voters, 61 to 36, where a 5 point gain is worth 3.65 points; Men, 48% of voters, 54 to 43, where a 5 point gain is worth 2.38 points.

  7. Where you lose ground

    The forecast's worst groups for Phil Weiser: Immigration voters 34 to 63, Small counties 46 to 50, Midsize counties 49 to 47. Cutting the loss here is often cheaper than winning new groups.

  8. The money

    $725K cash against $158K. Spend it early on persuasion television in the battleground counties and keep a reserve for the last week.

  9. The early vote

    Registered Democrats cast 33% of the 727,322 ballots in Colorado so far, against 25% for the other party. That is 4.9 points better for Democrats than the forecast expected by now.

  10. What the ballots so far say

    The early vote has moved this forecast 1.0 points toward Phil Weiser. Bank it: chase the remaining mail ballots and low propensity voters who have not voted.

  11. Victor Marx's strongest asset

    Money: Raised $1.1M against $1.7M for Phil Weiser.

If you work for Victor Marx
  1. Close the gap

    Victor Marx trails by 23.0 and wins 0% of simulations. Closing it takes about 325,880 voters switching sides, or 651,760 more net votes from new turnout.

  2. The range

    In 8 of 10 simulations the result lands between D +31.8 and D +13.7. Only an unusual polling error changes the winner.

  3. Turn out the base

    The biggest vote banks for Republicans: Weld, a projected net 18,247 votes; Mesa, a projected net 13,782 votes; Elbert, a projected net 7,465 votes. Every point of extra turnout here is worth more than persuasion anywhere else.

  4. Win the battlegrounds

    The large counties within 12 points: El Paso, D +1.3, 11.8% of the vote; Douglas, D +4.9, 7.1% of the vote; Pueblo, D +2.0, 2.7% of the vote; Garfield, D +11.3, 1.0% of the vote.

  5. Where you run behind the 2024 map

    Against the 2024 presidential vote, Victor Marx runs furthest behind in Arapahoe. That is where the forecast sees voters who backed your side two years ago and have not come back yet.

  6. The coalition levers

    Groups big enough to move the race: White voters, 76% of voters, 42 to 54, where a 5 point gain is worth 3.77 points; Voters who cast ballots in 2022 and 2024, 73% of voters, 36 to 61, where a 5 point gain is worth 3.65 points; Men, 48% of voters, 43 to 54, where a 5 point gain is worth 2.38 points.

  7. Where you lose ground

    The forecast's worst groups for Victor Marx: Asian and other voters 16 to 80, Health care and Social Security voters 25 to 72, Independents 25 to 69. Cutting the loss here is often cheaper than winning new groups.

  8. The money

    $158K cash against $725K. Outspent: lean on earned media, digital, field and the outside groups, and pick the two or three media markets that decide it.

  9. The early vote

    Registered Republicans cast 25% of the 727,322 ballots in Colorado so far, against 33% for the other party. That is 4.9 points worse for Republicans than the forecast expected by now.

  10. What the ballots so far say

    The early vote has moved this forecast 1.0 points away from Victor Marx. Election Day has to make it up: the remaining vote must break harder your way than the forecast expects.

  11. Phil Weiser's strongest asset

    Cash: $725K in the bank against $158K for Victor Marx.

The map for Weiser

County projections from the forecast
Vote banksWhere the biggest net margins come from
CountyForecastVote shareNet D
DenverD +69.112%+235,559
BoulderD +65.16.4%+118,993
ArapahoeD +35.710.4%+104,915
JeffersonD +32.211.4%+104,576
BattlegroundsLarge counties within 12 points
CountyForecastVote shareNet D
El PasoD +1.311.8%+4,274
DouglasD +4.97.1%+9,845
PuebloD +2.02.7%+1,553
GarfieldD +11.31%+3,071
Behind the 2024 mapRunning furthest behind the last presidential vote
CountyForecastVote shareNet D
PuebloD +2.02.7%+1,553
MesaR +16.92.9%-13,782
WeldR +12.15.3%-18,247

The coalition

Weiser against Marx among the groups that can move it, from the forecast's voter group estimates
Swing groups
  • White voters76% of voters · a 5 point gain is worth 3.8
    5542
  • Voters who cast ballots in 2022 and 202473% of voters · a 5 point gain is worth 3.6
    6136
  • Men48% of voters · a 5 point gain is worth 2.4
    5443
  • Voters without a degree45% of voters · a 5 point gain is worth 2.3
    5740
Weakest groups
  • Immigration voters7% of voters · a 5 point gain is worth 0.4
    3463
  • Small counties14% of voters · a 5 point gain is worth 0.7
    4650
  • Midsize counties7% of voters · a 5 point gain is worth 0.3
    4947
WeiserMarx

Scouting report

From the Watchdog people files, each line with its source
Phil Weiser

No researched file yet; this candidate is queued for the next people file batch.

Victor Marx

No researched file yet; this candidate is queued for the next people file batch.

The forecast

Margin over recent runs
R +2.0D +24.016 runs agonow
Now
D +23.0
8 in 10 land between
D +31.8 and D +13.7
Polling average
n/a
Partisan lean
D +12.8
Early vote effect
D +1.0

Recent polls

Last 45 days

No public polls in the last 45 days; the forecast leans on fundamentals and similar races.

Money and the air war

Latest reports
WeiserMarx
Raised$1.7M$1.1M
Spentn/an/a
Cash on hand$725K$158K
Outside money forn/an/a
Google adsn/an/a
Follow the money

The early vote

Colorado, through 2026-10-24
Ballots cast
727,322
Party data
Reported by the state
Ballot margin
D +8.2
Forecast expected
D +3.3
Against expectation
4.9 points better for Democrats

Party registration of who has voted, not how they voted.

Open the early vote tracker

Media watch

Who is putting this race in front of an audience
  • 2026-08-05
    Piers Morgan host, leans other

    Interviewed Republican governor nominee Victor Marx, an interview 9News' Kyle Clark said contained false claims. Source

  • 2026-08-04
    Kyle Clark reporter

    Blasted Piers Morgan's Victor Marx interview as a rehash with false and misleading claims. Source

Media watch

On the trail

Rallies and events, newest first

No stops logged yet for this race.

Races that move with this one

When the polls miss here, they tend to miss there too