Weiser wins Colorado governor race, succeeding Polis

Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser (D) will win his election to be the state’s next governor, Decision Desk HQ projects .

Weiser’s victory seemed all but assured in the Democratic stronghold against Republican Victor Marx, a ministry leader. Weiser will succeed outgoing Gov. Jared Polis (D), who is term-limited.

With nearly half of the ballots counted, Weiser had just more than 64 percent of the vote.

Beyond Colorado’s increasing shift to the left in recent years, Weiser was viewed as the favorite particularly because of controversies surrounding his opponent.

Marx drew attention and scrutiny during his campaign for various past comments he made, including that his stepfather once forced him to kill a man when he was 7 years old. In an eyebrow-raising interview in May, Marx said he couldn’t say whether he had killed other people as an adult.

Marx also faced scrutiny over the accuracy of past statements his campaign has asserted about how many women and children he’s helped save through missions. Several high-profile Republicans refused to endorse Marx, including both of his primary opponents.

President Trump hasn’t included Marx on his extensive list of endorsements he’s made for fellow Republicans. Former GOP Rep. Ken Buck (Colo.), a former state party chair, even endorsed Weiser.

Weiser will become the second Jewish governor of Colorado, following Polis. This will also mark the first time in U.S. history that a Jewish governor of a state is succeeded by another Jewish governor.