Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser left Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO) completely shook to the core by beating the three-term Democrat in one of the country’s most closely watched gubernatorial primary races, blocking Bennet’s attempt to jump into the fray of state politics from his seat in Washington. Weiser’s victory over Bennet, who ran for president in 2020, is a huge upset as many expected the incumbent senator to take home the win.
Weiser is now in a prime position to take up the mantle of term-limited Democratic Gov. Jared Polis in a state Democrats have been dominating in statewide elections. Reports also suggest that Bennet will stay in the Senate, avoiding a vacant seat that would have likely turned into a messy battle between Republicans and Democrats that would have transpired if he won the race for governor.
“Phil has dedicated his life to the law, justice, and public service,” Weiser’s campaign website says. “As your governor he will continue to advance the rule of law, protect our democracy, and promote justice for all. Phil Weiser will continue to defend and protect every Coloradan across the state.” Making his loss more shocking, Bennet entered the race with the endorsement of many of the state’s Democratic establishment.
The list of those who backed the senator for governor includes Sen. John Hickenlooper, Reps. Joe Neguse, Jason Crow and Brittany Pettersen, along with state legislative leaders, labor groups, and over 200 Colorado leaders. While many assumed this level of support from within the party would be enough to push him into victory, it wasn’t enough, according to a report from Trending Politics News.
Weiser, who has served as attorney general for two terms, relied heavily on his background in law and his record as Colorado’s top attorney while making the case he was better prepared to fight for the people of the state from the governor’s office. His campaign received support from former Colorado Gov. Roy Romer, former Rep. Ed Perlmutter, former Denver Mayor Federico Peña, former Sen. Tim Wirth, local officials, state lawmakers and progressive groups.
During his campaign, Bennet attempted to make the case that he could do far more good for Colorado as a governor than a senator, especially when it came to fighting against President Donald Trump and his America First agenda. Weiser argued that Colorado needed someone in the governor’s mansion who held executive experience and a record of actually taking legal fights directly to the opposition.
Weiser’s case for why he should be governor proved to be far more convincing for Democratic Party voters than the one made by Bennet. As a result of his victory, Weiser now moves forward into the general election as the clear favorite to take over the governorship. As far as the Republican side goes, Barb Kirkmeyer was the leading GOP candidate in the primary as of this writing.
"*" indicates required fields
Victor Marx and Scott Bottoms both fell in line behind Kirkmeyer in the contest. The candidate that voters choose in the GOP primary will have an uphill battle against the popular Weiser come November 2026. The state of Colorado has experienced a dramatic shift toward the left in statewide races, making the battle between Republicans and Democrats for governor an intense, bitter struggle.
Featured Image: screenshot from embedded video