Colorado Governor Voter Guide: Marx, Weiser and Five Others on Short-Term Rentals and Wolves
Seven candidates are on the ballot for governor of Colorado on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026: Republican Victor Marx, Democrat Phil Weiser, American Constitution Party candidate Stephen T. Hamilton, Libertarian Eric Mulder, Unity Party candidate Jeff Peckman, Approval Voting Party candidate Erik Underwood and unaffiliated candidate Greg Lopez, according to the Colorado Secretary of State's official candidate list. The seat is open because Democratic Gov. Jared Polis is term-limited, The Colorado Sun reported.
The Digital Free Press voter guide video compares all seven candidates on two Western Slope issues: short-term rentals and wolves. Here is where each one stands, based on the video, the candidates' own words and Colorado reporting.
Most of the positions in the video come from a candidate questionnaire published Oct. 7-9 by the Swift Communications mountain newspapers, including the Summit Daily, Vail Daily, The Aspen Times, Steamboat Pilot & Today, Sky-Hi News and the Post Independent. All seven candidates answered it. On housing, the papers asked: "Rural resort areas navigate a delicate balance between the tourism industry and the need for long-term housing for locals. Do you support legislation to tax and/or limit vacant homes and short-term rentals?" Candidates were asked to answer "yes" or "no" first. On wolves, they asked what actions, if any, each candidate would support to alter the wolf reintroduction program, and why.
Short-term rentals and second homes are a major housing issue in mountain towns. In some mountain counties more than 30% of homes are not their owners' primary residence, reaching 61% in Summit County, Colorado Newsline reported, citing 2024 American Community Survey data. In February, the Colorado House Finance Committee rejected House Bill 26-1036 on a 7-4 vote. The bill would have strengthened local governments' authority to ask their own voters for a tax on vacant homes and exempted short-term rentals, Colorado Newsline reported.
Wolves are on the ballot indirectly. Colorado voters narrowly approved Proposition 114 on Nov. 3, 2020, directing the state to restore gray wolves west of the Continental Divide. Colorado Parks and Wildlife released 10 wolves from Oregon in December 2023 and 15 from British Columbia in January 2025, according to the agency. In October 2025, the Trump administration told Colorado to stop bringing in wolves from Canada, The Associated Press reported in The Colorado Sun. The Colorado Sun reported in June that the program had been paused amid clashes with ranchers and that, according to state wildlife officials, the wolf population had dropped below self-sustaining levels. On Sept. 30, Colorado Parks and Wildlife temporarily suspended its chronic depredation directive, which guides when wolves that repeatedly kill livestock may be removed, The Herald Times and the agency reported.
Victor Marx (Republican)
Marx, 61, of Colorado Springs, is the founder of All Things Possible Ministries, a Christian nonprofit, and a former U.S. Marine, The Colorado Sun reported. This is his first run for public office. He won the Republican nomination in June with just under 40% of the vote, narrowly ahead of state Sen. Barb Kirkmeyer, Colorado Politics reported. His running mate is George Washington Markert.
On short-term rentals, Marx answered "No" in the mountain newspapers' questionnaire. "I don't believe the state should be in the business of punishing property owners with new taxes or heavy-handed limits on how they use what they've earned. That's government overreach," he said, adding that "local governments should have flexibility here." He said the answer is to remove barriers that make workforce housing expensive and slow to build: streamline permitting, cut red tape and end unfunded mandates on counties. His campaign website says he would push expedited permitting for home building and support inflation-based caps on property taxes for owner-occupied homes.
On wolves, Marx told the newspapers that reintroduction "was an ideological decision, not a scientific one," and that "Western Slope ranchers are paying the price." He said he would "clean house" on the boards and commissions that make wildlife decisions and appoint "real scientists, real outdoorsmen and women," and that ranchers who have lost livestock deserve "fast, fair compensation." In a June survey by The Colorado Sun, he said he would push for "an immediate, science driven reassessment focused on population limits, geographic controls, and stronger mitigation," and that if the data shows the program cannot work without harming Colorado communities, "then we should not continue it."
Phil Weiser (Democrat)
Weiser, 58, of Denver, has been Colorado's attorney general since 2019 and was previously dean of the University of Colorado Law School, The Colorado Sun reported. He clerked for U.S. Supreme Court Justices Byron White and Ruth Bader Ginsburg and held senior posts in the Clinton and Obama Justice Departments, according to his answers to The Denver Post. He won the Democratic nomination over U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, 57% to 43%, Colorado Politics reported. His running mate is Lesley Dahlkemper.
On short-term rentals, Weiser did not give a yes or no answer. "I am open to discussing this topic — both the potential benefits as well as any drawbacks," he told the newspapers. "It is crucial to avoid well-intentioned policies that may have unintended results and harm homeownership, property values or communities." He said he wants to hear from affected communities, local governments, advocates and homeowners first. In a Colorado Sun interview, he said he wants to grow the construction workforce, cut permitting fees and wait times for starter homes and "lean into innovation, like modular housing."
On wolves, Weiser said: "No one on any side of this issue — including me — believes the wolf reintroduction program is working well." He pointed to wolf deaths, frustration on the Western Slope, costs above budget and other states refusing to supply wolves, and said "the program and those running it must do better to ensure the voters' will is honored." He told The Colorado Sun in June that he will "carry out the voters' will and enforce and administer our state laws — not pick and choose among them," while restoring trust with rural communities through fairness, transparency and engagement.
Stephen T. Hamilton (American Constitution Party)
Hamilton, of Cañon City, describes himself as a business owner and "not career politician," according to his answers to The Denver Post. His running mate is James K. Treibert.
On short-term rentals, Hamilton answered "Yes" in the newspapers' questionnaire, but he means local authority, not a statewide rule. He said he supports giving towns and counties "clear legal authority to license, cap and tax short-term rentals" and to charge "a meaningful fee on homes vacant more than six months a year," with the money going to local workforce housing. "I do not support a one-size-fits-all statewide ban," he said. In an Oct. 8 opinion piece in the Summit Daily, he also called for deed-restricted workforce housing, less red tape for modular homes and opening state and federal land near existing infrastructure for housing.
On wolves, Hamilton said: "I respect the vote, but implementation has eroded trust on the Western Slope. I would not repeal the program; I would reform it." He listed full transparency on costs, locations and where wolves come from; clear written rules for chronic depredation and lethal management; full and rapid compensation for livestock losses, including indirect losses; and more support for nonlethal deterrents and range riders. "Fix management before expanding numbers," he said.
Eric Mulder (Libertarian)
Mulder, of Aurora, is a U.S. Army veteran and small business owner who served on the city of Aurora's Veterans Affairs Commission, according to his answers to The Denver Post. His running mate is Wayne Harlos.
On short-term rentals, Mulder answered "No." He said limiting vacant-home and short-term rental ownership through state law "would run into federal regulatory restrictions on such laws and likely be overturned by the Supreme Court," and that "housing diversity would do more to increase options and reduce costs naturally." His campaign website does not list a position on short-term rentals.
On wolves, Mulder said he "would support a reevaluation of the wolf reintroduction program." He said wolves do best in large areas with little contact with people or livestock, where they can thin wild elk and moose herds, while ranchers already manage the health of their livestock. "A reintroduction that focuses on vast state parks with a focus on wild herd management and fauna management zones might be more efficient," he said. His campaign website does not list a position on wolves.
Jeff Peckman (Unity Party)
Peckman, of Englewood, is an entrepreneur whose experience includes work as a consultant, writer, real estate agent and designer, according to his answers to The Denver Post. He was the main backer of a 2010 Denver ballot initiative to create an extraterrestrial-affairs commission, which failed, Colorado Newsline reported. His running mate is T.J. Cole.
On short-term rentals, Peckman answered "Yes," adding that "'taxes' and 'limits' are strategies that should be in separate legislative bills and ballot initiatives." He called both "Band-Aid approaches that bump against property rights and tax laws" and said better solutions are needed, especially for seasonal workers, such as a new type of temporary shelter he said he is helping engineering students design. He also suggested fees or fines on vacant homes that are not kept in fire-safe condition.
On wolves, Peckman said he "wouldn't immediately alter the existing program or argue about its merits and legality." He said he would focus his first year on reducing air pollution and stepping up forest maintenance, which "might change the conversation about wolf introduction," and that he would "revisit that question in my second year." His campaign website does not list a position on wolves.
Erik Underwood (Approval Voting Party)
Underwood, of Denver, is a technology CEO and the founder of Vurbil, an AI moderation platform, and a former U.S. Senate staffer and junior prosecutor in the Atlanta City Solicitor's Office, according to his answers to The Denver Post. His running mate is Frank Atwood.
On short-term rentals, Underwood answered "Yes." He said House Bill 26-1036 "should have passed" and that he would sign it, noting it gave local governments the option to ask voters for a vacancy tax. He said he supports the lodging property-tax classification for investor-owned units rented more than 90 days and supports local caps, with the money going "straight into deed-restricted units." The limits, he said, "have to be set locally, because Summit County and Craig are not the same place."
On wolves, Underwood said: "I would keep the program and fix how it is run. Voters ordered this in 2020." He proposed paying ranchers' claims "fully and fast," including indirect losses; reliable, upfront funding for range riders and deterrents; publishing location and depredation data on a regular schedule; and keeping management authority in Colorado. "Washington, D.C. threatening to take over our wolf program is not help; it is a takeover, and I would fight it," he said.
Greg Lopez (Unaffiliated)
Lopez, a U.S. Air Force veteran who lives in Elizabeth, is a former mayor of Parker and former Colorado director of the U.S. Small Business Administration, according to his campaign website. He served six months in Congress in 2024 after winning a special election for the seat vacated by Republican Ken Buck, and he left the Republican Party in January to run as an unaffiliated candidate, Colorado Politics reported. He qualified for the ballot by petition, the Secretary of State's office announced July 28. This is his third run for governor. His running mate is Taralyn Romero.
On short-term rentals, Lopez answered "No, not as a statewide mandate." He said mountain towns such as Aspen, Breckenridge and Steamboat Springs "do not necessarily face identical circumstances" and that he favors giving local communities "reasonable authority" over short-term rentals while respecting property rights. He added: "If corporations are buying up the housing supply to make a profit and causing hardship for families to afford housing, then I do believe the state should pass legislation to limit the number of homes and rental rates." His campaign website promises 25,000 starter homes of about 1,100 square feet in his first four years.
On wolves, Lopez said Colorado Parks and Wildlife's suspension of its chronic depredation directive "is a clear indication that CPW is unable to properly implement and manage" the state's wolf plan. He said he would direct the agency "to stop all wolf translocations until the legislature places Proposition 114 again on the ballot for voters to reaffirm their support," and would "allow the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to manage the wolf population." His campaign website says "it is time to abandon the effort."
Where to Follow the Candidates
Victor Marx: @victormarx on X and @iamvictormarx on TikTok. Phil Weiser: @pweiser on X and @phil.weiser on TikTok. Stephen T. Hamilton: @stephen92335125 on X and @stephen.taylor.ha on TikTok. Erik Underwood: @ErikMUnderwood on X and @erikmunderwood on TikTok. Greg Lopez: @LopezForCO on X. Eric Mulder: @mulderforgov on Instagram. Jeff Peckman: no campaign X or TikTok account was found.
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026. This guide is for information only; The Digital Free Press does not endorse any candidate.
Yossi Schmidt, Founder and Editor-in-Chief, The Digital Free Press
Hold Everyone Accountable.
Sources: Colorado Secretary of State, 2026 General Election Official Candidate List: https://www.coloradosos.gov/pubs/elections/vote/generalCandidates.html ; Vail Daily, "Q&A: Meet Victor Marx, the Republican candidate running for Colorado governor" (Oct. 8, 2026): https://www.vaildaily.com/news/meet-colorado-governor-candidate-republican-marx/ ; Summit Daily, "Q&A: Meet Phil Weiser, the Democratic candidate running for Colorado governor" (Oct. 7, 2026): https://www.summitdaily.com/opinion/meet-colorado-democratic-governor-candidate-weiser/ ; Steamboat Pilot & Today, "Q&A: Meet Stephen Hamilton, an American Constitution Party candidate running for Colorado governor" (Oct. 8, 2026): https://www.steamboatpilot.com/news/meet-colorado-governor-candidate-hamilton-american-constitutional-party/ ; Summit Daily, "Q&A: Meet Eric Mulder, a Libertarian candidate running for Colorado governor" (Oct. 7, 2026): https://www.summitdaily.com/opinion/meet-colorado-governor-candidate-mulder-libertarian/ ; Summit Daily, "Q&A: Meet Jeff Peckman, a Unity Party candidate running for Colorado governor" (Oct. 7, 2026): https://www.summitdaily.com/opinion/meet-colorado-governor-candidate-peckman-unity-party/ ; The Aspen Times, "Q&A: Meet Erik Underwood, an Approval Voting Party candidate running for Colorado governor" (Oct. 8, 2026): https://www.aspentimes.com/opinion/meet-colorado-governor-candidate-underwood-approval-voting/ ; Sky-Hi News, "Q&A: Meet Greg Lopez, an unaffiliated candidate running for Colorado governor" (Oct. 9, 2026): https://www.skyhinews.com/news/meet-colorado-governor-candidate-lopez-unaffiliated/ ; Summit Daily, "Hamilton: I will work to fix the housing crisis, defend Colorado water and more, if elected" (Oct. 8, 2026): https://www.summitdaily.com/opinion/opinion-stephen-hamilton-colorado-governor-midterm-election-american-constitution-party/ ; The Colorado Sun, "Where Phil Weiser and Victor Marx stand on the issues" (Oct. 10, 2026): https://coloradosun.com/2026/10/10/colorado-governor-phil-weiser-victor-marx-voter-guide/ ; The Colorado Sun, "How Colorado's candidates for governor say they would address wolves, hunting, fishing and a rural divide" (June 24, 2026): https://coloradosun.com/2026/06/24/colorado-governor-wolves-hunting-fishing-wildlife-issue-stances/ ; The Denver Post, "Colorado Governor candidate Q&A" (Oct. 3, 2026): https://www.denverpost.com/2026/10/03/colorado-governor-candidate-qa/ ; Colorado Politics, "Weiser, Marx and Lopez near finish line in Colorado race for governor" (Oct. 23, 2026): https://www.coloradopolitics.com/2026/10/23/weiser-marx-and-lopez-near-finish-line-in-colorado-race-for-governor/ ; Colorado Newsline, Colorado governor voter guide: https://coloradonewsline.com/voter-guides/contests/2026-general-colorado-governor/ ; Colorado Newsline, "Colorado lawmakers reject bill to allow resort towns to tax vacant homes" (Feb. 10, 2026): https://coloradonewsline.com/2026/02/10/colorado-lawmakers-vacant-homes/ ; Colorado Newsline, Colorado governor Unity Party primary voter guide: https://coloradonewsline.com/voter-guides/contests/2026-primary-colorado-governor-unity/ ; Colorado Secretary of State, "Greg Lopez and Taralyn Romero ... Qualify for General Election Ballot" (July 28, 2026): https://www.sos.state.co.us/pubs/newsRoom/pressReleases/2026/PR20260728LopezRomero.html ; Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Bringing Wolves Back to Colorado: https://cpw.state.co.us/bringing-wolves-back-colorado ; Colorado Parks and Wildlife, Chronic Depredation Events and Removals: https://cpw.state.co.us/wolves-colorado-chronic-depredation-events-and-removals ; The Herald Times, "CPW suspends wolf depredation directive": https://www.theheraldtimes.com/cpw-suspends-wolf-depredation-directive/rio-blanco-county/ ; The Associated Press via The Colorado Sun, "Trump administration tells Colorado wolves must come from U.S. Rockies states, not Canada" (Oct. 25, 2025): https://coloradosun.com/2025/10/25/colorado-wolf-reintroduction-trump-administration-directive/ ; Victor Marx campaign, Policies: https://www.victor2026.com/my-policies ; Phil Weiser campaign: https://philforcolorado.com/ ; Stephen T. Hamilton campaign card: https://dot.cards/stephentay79 ; Eric Mulder campaign: https://www.mulderforgovernor.org/ ; Jeff Peckman campaign: https://jeffpeckman.com/ ; Erik Underwood campaign: https://www.erikunderwood.com ; Greg Lopez campaign, Issues: https://www.greglopez.co/issues ; Greg Lopez campaign, Meet Greg: https://www.greglopez.co/meet-greg
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