1-minute voter guide: Republican candidates for governor

State of play: State Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer, state Rep. Scott Bottoms and Colorado Springs ministry leader Victor Marx agree that Colorado is headed in the wrong direction under Democratic control. But they offer sharply different experiences and visions for the future.

Flashback: Republicans have not won a gubernatorial race since 2002.

Zoom in: Kirkmeyer is promoting her experience as a Weld County commissioner, state senator and member of former Republican Gov. Bill Owens' administration.

• She is positioning herself as the most electable GOP candidate for a general election and is focused on getting state spending in order.

Bottoms, a Colorado Springs pastor and state representative, calls himself an "uncompromising conservative."

• He has expressed concern about a nonexistent pedophilia ring at the state Capitol and aligned himself with a conservative podcaster who has repeatedly called for his political opponents to be executed.

Marx, a ministry leader and Marine veteran, is making his first run for public office. His candidacy has also generated controversy, with both Kirkmeyer and Bottoms publicly questioning his qualifications and trustworthiness.

• In a recent 9News interview, he said his father forced him to kill a man when he was a 7-year-old child, but he couldn't say how many people he has killed in his lifetime.

What to watch: Whether GOP voters prioritize electability, ideological purity or outsider energy could determine not only the nominee, but the party's broader direction heading into November.