Victor Marx, a Marines veteran and self-described "high-risk missionary," has won the Republican primary for Colorado governor, narrowly defeating state senator Barbara Kirkmeyer by fewer than 2,500 votes in what is described as the closest Republican gubernatorial primary in the state's history. Marx, a pastor who runs a non-profit focused on combating human trafficking, made a series of unverified claims during the campaign — including calling in a US military airstrike that killed 70 ISIS fighters, conducting over 150 overseas rescue missions, and being forced to kill a man at age seven — all of which he refused to substantiate. He will now face Democratic nominee and state attorney general Phil Weiser in November, who has already described Marx's nomination as "a threat to our state's values," signalling that Marx's unsubstantiated claims will be central to the general election contest.