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In governor’s primary race, Bennet, Weiser sparring over who is tougher on Trump
FRISCO, Colo. – Colorado U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet was headed out of a fundraiser here Friday evening, on his way to a town hall with U.S. Rep. Joe Neguse, when he was asked by Newsline to respond to criticism that he has not been tough enough on the Trump administration.
“Anybody who has watched me lead the fight against [Health and Human Service Secretary] Bobby Kennedy, lead the fight against [Director of National Intelligence] Tulsi Gabbard, lead the fight against the Secretary of Defense’s [Pete Hegseth’s] insane use of Signal for battle plans, would know that I’ve been fighting this administration incredibly hard and will continue to fight them incredibly hard,” Bennet said.
Term-limited Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser, Bennet’s leading challenger in the 2026 Democratic gubernatorial primary, told Newsline before a fundraiser in Edwards on July 5 that his more than two dozen lawsuits challenging Trumpmake him uniquely qualified to stand up for the state as governor.
“Having been very supportive of a lot of the [Trump] nominees and having said when he announced that he thinks a winning strategy is to make nice with the [Interior Secretary] Doug Burgums of the world is not going to look great in a primary where people believe this administration is lawless, reckless and harmful,” Weiser said. “[Voters are] going look at who’s actually standing up to this administration and who’s essentially trying to make nice.”
Bennet was first appointed to the Senate in 2009 to replace Ken Salazar, who was chosen by the Obama administration to serve as Interior Secretary. Bennet’s since won reelection twice and is slated to serve in the upper chamber of Congress until early 2029. If he wins the June 2026 Democratic primary, Bennet would be a heavy favorite against a crowded Republican field.
If Bennet wins in November of 2026, he would then have to resign his seat in the U.S. Senate to occupy the Colorado governor’s mansion, where current Democratic Gov. Jared Polis is term-limited. At that point, Bennet would then select his replacement in the Senate. Bennet on Friday pushed back on the notion that opposing Trump is the biggest key to winning in Colorado.
“I think fighting the administration is only part of what we need to do,” Bennet said. “We need to have a positive vision for what this country is going to be. And the way we’re going to get there is by building an economy that works for everybody — not just the people at the very top – but especially the next generation of Coloradans.”
Bennet says young voters turned on Democrats across the country in 2024 – at least enough to swing the election to President Donald Trump for a second term – because of the economy.
“There’s not a county in Colorado where people feel like their kids are going to be able to afford to live there, and where our kids feel like they’re not going to be able to afford to live there,” Bennet said. “That’s where the seeds of Trumpism are sown is in an economy where people feel like no matter how hard they work they don’t have economic opportunities. So this needs to be about not just fighting Trump, but putting a stake through Trumpism.”
Weiser, who announced his gubernatorial campaign right out of the gate in January, argues Bennet is needed more in the Senate, and that he should serve out the term he was elected to because his seniority there makes him an invaluable asset for Colorado in Washington.
“I know our state government inside and out, from every agency to every issue,” Weiser said. “I believe I’ve worked very effectively with local governments, with people in the legislature. I can hit the ground running. Michael Bennet will have a huge learning curve if he’s to do this job. He’s deep in federal issues. He’s got relationships there, he’s got expertise, he’s got seniority.”
Bennet counters he brings “considerable experience in the private sector, running one of the most challenging bureaucracies in Colorado as the superintendent of the Denver Public Schools, three terms in the Senate, the relationships that I’ve built all over our state with county commissioners, with mayors, with hospital CEOs, with nonprofits, with small business owners. These are the relations we need to be able to make big changes when it comes to housing and healthcare and education in our state.”
As for picking his replacement in the Senate, Bennet did not name names, although he had high praise for House Assistant Minority Leader Neguse, who stopped into Bennet’s fundraiser before heading off to his nearby town hall.
“We have an unbelievably talented bench in Colorado, and there is going to be an amazing opportunity for somebody to be able to take over at a time that will be useful to them and useful to the state,” Bennet said. “Obviously, that only becomes material if I actually win this primary.”
Weiser, asked about the suggestion that he clear the primary field in exchange for a nomination to the U.S. Senate, said that does not interest him.
“I don’t want to be in the Senate,” Weiser said. “I’ve said publicly that if that situation arises, I’m not the right person. Here’s what I said, ‘I would strongly advocate for other people over me. It’s not a job I want. It’s not a job I need. They’re better people for the job. Pick one of them. Don’t pick me.’”
Weiser is adamant, nearly a year from the primary, about the right order of things in the state of Colorado: “Michael Bennet staying in the Senate, me serving as our next governor. That’s the best move for Colorado. I don’t think Michael Bennet’s the right person to be governor. That’s why I’m in this race. If I thought Michael was going to be a phenomenal governor and it made sense for Colorado and giving up his seniority in the Senate was a nothing, I could do other things. But I really do believe I’m the right person for this job [of governor].”
Bennet is by no means taking Weiser lightly in the primary contest.
“I’m today more than 30 points ahead in the primary but I’m fighting like I’m 30 points behind, which is what I always do,” Bennet said. “I’m not trying to get into this job so I can occupy space. I’m not trying to get into this job because it’s the end cap of my career. I believe this is where the fight really is going to be for the future of our state and for the future of our country, for the future of our kids and the future of our grandkids.”
Referring to an internal Bennet campaign poll released last month and showing the senator with a more than 30-point lead over the AG as “a static, one-point-in-time, year-before-an-election” snapshot, Weiser said that, “What it’s not capturing is the building energy and momentum that is going to drive our campaign.”
The Bennet campaign on Monday reported raising more than $1.7 million in the second quarter, setting an off-year record in Colorado and ending the quarter with more than $1.3 million in cash on hand. The Weiser campaign on July 2 reported raising more than $1 million in the second quarter, which it ended with nearly $2.5 million cash on hand.
For now, Weiser wants to not only see Bennet say in the Senate, he also wants all of the Democrats in the upper chamber, including junior Colorado U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper, to fight harder against the lawlessness of the Trump administration.
“I would definitely urge senators to be more combative and not try to be accommodating with this administration,” Weiser said. “Accommodation is not a strategy that’s going to work. This administration has shown time and again, they’re going to be lawless. They’re going to be bullies. We’ve got to stand strong and fight back, and senators have to find all the best ways to do that.”
Bennet says he’s definitely up for that fight but can more effectively wage it in Denver.
“I am extremely well-situated to be able to provide the leadership that Colorado needs right now at a moment when we are painting against a canvas that is what Donald Trump represents and the future that he represents,” Bennet said. “In Colorado, we can not only make sure that this place is a place that every one of our kids can call home and can thrive in and build their own lives here, but we can set an example for the rest of the country. And that’s a valuable opportunity for us.”
Editor’s note: This story first appeared on Colorado Newsline, which is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Colorado Newsline maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Quentin Young for questions: info@coloradonewsline.com.
David O. Williams
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