Colorado Republicans ran a clown for governor, but voters were in no mood for a circus. As expected, Victor Marx got absolutely destroyed, spending north of four million dollars for just over a third of the total votes. Meanwhile, Mark Baisley spent almost nothing in his U.S. Senate race and yet earned more votes. Marx’s loss is among the most lopsided in state history, and even worse if you look only at open seats. If only someone, anyone, could have predicted this.
We cannot know for sure, but it’s possible that Marx discouraged conservative votes enough, and squandered opportunities to help educate the public enough, to affect downstream races and ballot measures. Welcome to the Democratic Supermajority. Welcome to huge tax hikes and heavily progressive taxation. Lauren Boebert hitched her wagon to Marx, and he may have driven her right over the electoral cliff. Of course there were broader forces at play, but the weak, inarticulate, debate-dodging top-of-ticket didn’t help.
It’s only too bad that there wasn’t another highly experienced, highly competent, non-crazy candidate in the wings who wanted the job (yes that’s sarcasm). Still, Barb Kirkmeyer was saved the embarrassment of losing only somewhat less badly than Marx, after which Marx’s supporters would have insisted, against all evidence, that they could have done better. At least now such fantasies are dead.
“We can’t burn it down any more than we already have,” Republican Chair Craig Steiner told the Jeff and Bill Show. I guess that’s what counts as optimism among today’s Republicans.
Return of the Bread Sandwich
It appears likely that Jeff Hurd on the Western Slope would be the one remaining Republican member of Congress from Colorado.
Not coincidentally, back in 2023, the leftist blog Colorado Pols opined, “If Jeff Hurd were a restaurant, the only thing on the menu would be a bread sandwich.” This led to a running joke among Democrats, who found it hilarious to call Hurd “Bread Sandwich.”
In 2024, the Colorado Sun wrote in a subhead, “Hurd, a Grand Junction attorney, won by being ‘as exciting as a bread sandwich’ after Lauren Boebert nearly lost the district for Republicans in 2022.” You’ll recall that Boebert moved to a “safer” district, ha ha. Hurd embraced the label, saying, “A reporter once said that I’m as exciting as a bread sandwich. That’s OK. Rural Colorado doesn’t need excitement.”
Hurd ran on no-nonsense, nose-to-the-grindstone hard work, and voters responded to that. His campaign website describes Hurd as “serious leadership for rural Colorado.” Hurd is nearly as boringly normal as Barb Kirkmeyer.
On October 1, CPR ran the headline, “Hurd notes independence, pragmatism in 3rd Congressional District reelection bid.” Hurd told the outlet, “Being an effective legislator requires standing up for your constituents, standing up for your principles, but also being smart in how you fight. Not every battle can be the Alamo.” I can hardly stay awake at my keyboard this guy is so boring.
At one point, CPR’s Ryan Warner asked Hurd, “Is a vote for Jeff Hurd this November a vote for Donald Trump?” Here is Hurd’s boringly competent answer: “I think a vote for Jeff Hurd is a vote for a representative who has worked hard to be effective and who’s independent . . . but who has reflected his district and has worked hard to get results, whether it’s the Shoshone water right that we are able to secure, whether it’s the disaster funding that we’re able to secure for Aspen Acres for the Gold Mountain fire, whether it’s support for rural veterans that need transport in Huerfano County. I think I’ve shown and I’ve exhibited a track record of independence and effectiveness that I hope will be the measure that voters use to decide whether or not they’ll reelect me in November.”
Hurd is not just all talk about his independence. Here’s a Hill headline from February: “Trump pulls endorsement of Hurd over tariffs vote.” After Trump realized he couldn’t bully Hurd or sway the primary, he re-endorsed him a few weeks later.
Imagine a Republican Party without the scandals, without the soap-opera drama, without the make-believe Soldier of Fortune vibe, without the demon hunting, without the demagoguery, without the shrill conspiracy mongering, without the hateful rhetoric. Imagine a Republican party of normal candidates concerned with good governance. Or, if you lack imagination, just look at Jeff Hurd, the Bread Sandwich.
Ari Armstrong writes regularly for Complete Colorado and is the author of books about Ayn Rand, Harry Potter, and classical liberalism. He can be reached at ari at ariarmstrong dot com.
