Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO) was thought to be a shoo-in for Colorado’s Democratic primary for governor. But on the eve of the election, the well-known senator and 2020 presidential candidate found himself in a “toss-up” race against Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser.With the seat solidly in the Democrats’ court, the real fight is the Tuesday primary. It presents the latest high-profile showdown in the party between a more establishment candidate, Bennet, and someone who’s positioned himself as the insurgent outsider, Weiser.It also comes on the heels of Democratic socialist wins in New York and Washington, D.C., breathing new fire into underdog campaigns challenging what they see as complacent, status quo Democrats serving in the nation’s capital.
“I think this right now is a toss-up,” said Doug Friednash, a Colorado Democratic strategist and former chief of staff to Sen. John Hickenlooper (D-CO) when he was governor. “I think the most important factor in this race is, who’s standing up to Trump more? Who’s fighting Trump? … Voters are super angry, generally, and they want to take it out on someone, and they want to see change.”What was once a sizable lead of nearly 30 points just months ago for Bennet has all but dwindled. In one of the most recent polls, Bennet trailed Weiser by 9 points.As his lead has diminished, so too has Bennet’s attendance record in Washington. In June, Bennet participated in just two of 62 Senate roll call votes, according to a Washington Examiner analysis.Weiser has taken notice of his opponent’s absences.“No. 1: Do your day job,” Weiser said in a recent campaign video. “He committed to doing it. We all need to do it. Missing votes is a bad look.”The two men accuse one another of insufficiently combating President Donald Trump, whether it be Bennet crossing the aisle on occasion to support Republican nominees or what the senator says is an inadequate number of legal challenges mounted by Weiser against the administration.A source close to the Weiser campaign noted he’s sued the Trump administration dozens of times. They referred to Bennet as a “creature of D.C.” with more than two years left on his second term. They also noted that Bennet has ducked on who he’d appoint as his successor if elected governor and forced to vacate his Senate seat.“He hasn’t shown the fight that’s needed against the second Trump administration when it mattered, and still hasn’t,” the source said.Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO) announces his plan to run for Colorado’s governorship in the 2026 election at an event outside the Museum of Nature and Science, April 11, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)
