There is something truly poetic about a sitting United States senator telling voters he is too good for Washington, only to have those same voters tell him he is not good enough for Denver.
Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser defeated three-term Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet on Tuesday in the state's gubernatorial primary, as Trending Politics reported. Bennet, a former 2020 presidential candidate who most Americans forgot was a 2020 presidential candidate, tried to trade his Senate seat for the governor's mansion and got a hard no from his own party.
Weiser, a two-term attorney general, leaned on his legal background and executive experience to make the case that Colorado needed a governor who had actually run something besides a Senate office and a doomed presidential campaign. His campaign website says, "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. Phil Weiser will continue to defend and protect every Coloradan across the state."
What makes this loss so delicious for political observers is the sheer volume of endorsements Bennet stacked up and still could not convert into votes. He had Sen. John Hickenlooper, Reps. Joe Neguse, Jason Crow, and Brittany Pettersen, state legislative leaders, labor groups, and more than 200 Colorado leaders backing him. That is a lot of people to disappoint in one evening.
Weiser countered with his own coalition, including former Colorado Gov. Roy Romer, former Rep. Ed Perlmutter, former Denver Mayor Federico Pena, former Sen. Tim Wirth, and a collection of progressive groups. Turns out quality beats quantity when voters are actually paying attention.
Bennet's pitch during the campaign was that he could do more as governor than in the Senate, particularly when it came to fighting President Donald Trump. Weiser argued the state needed someone with executive chops and a track record of taking legal fights directly to the opposition. Colorado Democrats apparently agreed with the guy who had been doing exactly that for two terms as attorney general.
The silver lining for Democrats, if you can call it that, is that Bennet is now expected to remain in the Senate, avoiding what could have been a messy vacancy fight. So congratulations to Senator Bennet on keeping the job he publicly said was not the one he wanted. That has to feel great.
Weiser now moves into the general election as the heavy favorite. On the Republican side, Barb Kirkmeyer was leading the GOP primary Tuesday evening, with Victor Marx and Scott Bottoms trailing. Whoever emerges will face the political equivalent of climbing a 14er in flip flops. Colorado has shifted so heavily toward Democrats in statewide races that the Republican nominee might want to just enjoy the scenery and save the campaign funds.
Term-limited Democratic Gov. Jared Polis cannot run again after eight years in office, and Weiser appears well positioned to succeed him. For Bennet, the takeaway is pretty straightforward: national name recognition and a mountain of endorsements do not mean much when your own voters would rather keep you exactly where you are.
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