Colorado Senator Michael Bennet just learned a valuable lesson about politics: having every important person in your state vouch for you does not actually mean voters care. Attorney General Phil Weiser handed the three-term Democrat a loss in the gubernatorial primary that can only be described as a resume getting fed through a paper shredder, as The American Tribune reported.
Bennet rolled into this race with endorsements stacked so high you could see them from space. Senator John Hickenlooper backed him. Reps. Joe Neguse, Jason Crow, and Brittany Pettersen backed him. State legislative leaders backed him. Labor groups backed him. Over 200 Colorado leaders backed him. The man had more endorsements than a NASCAR driver has sponsor patches, and it still was not enough to get the job done. Someone should study this campaign as a case in how endorsements are basically just fancy participation trophies.
Weiser, who has served two terms as attorney general, made a pretty straightforward argument: maybe the guy who wants to be governor should have some executive experience and a track record of actually doing governor-type things. Revolutionary concept. His campaign website states, "Phil has dedicated his life to the law, justice, and public service. As your governor he will continue to advance the rule of law, protect our democracy, and promote justice for all."
Bennet, who also ran for president in 2020 (and yes, you are forgiven for not remembering that), tried to convince voters he could do more good fighting President Donald Trump from the governor's mansion than from his Senate seat. Voters apparently disagreed, which is a polite way of saying they told him to stay put.
Weiser picked up endorsements of his own from former Colorado Gov. Roy Romer, former Rep. Ed Perlmutter, former Denver Mayor Federico Peña, former Sen. Tim Wirth, and various progressive groups. So this was really a battle of endorsement armies, and Weiser's squad just happened to bring the voters along with them.
The silver lining for Democrats, if you want to call it that, is that Bennet will reportedly stay in his Senate seat. This avoids what would have been a chaotic vacancy battle between both parties. So congratulations to Bennet on keeping the job he was trying to leave. That is a special kind of consolation prize.
On the Republican side, Barb Kirkmeyer was leading the GOP primary as of this writing, with Victor Marx and Scott Bottoms trailing behind. Whoever emerges from that contest faces a steep climb in November 2026. Colorado has been trending so far left in statewide races that Republicans running for governor there might as well be training for a marathon they know they probably will not finish.
Weiser heads into the general election as the clear favorite to succeed term-limited Democratic Gov. Jared Polis. Bennet heads back to Washington with a fresh reminder that voters do not owe you anything, no matter how many friends you bring to the party.
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