politics
Colorado Democrats Choose Between Bennet and Weiser for Governor Nominee on Tuesday
Sen. Michael Bennet and Attorney General Phil Weiser compete in the Democratic primary to succeed term-limited Gov. Jared Polis. The race has tightened from Bennet's earlier lead, with polls closing at 9 p.m. EDT.
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Colorado voters decide the Democratic nominee for governor on Tuesday in a primary between Sen. Michael Bennet and state Attorney General Phil Weiser. The contest replaces term-limited Gov. Jared Polis, and the winner is favored to prevail in November.
Bennet holds endorsements from Sen. John Hickenlooper and three of the state's five House Democrats. A recent poll showed Weiser leading Bennet by 9 points after Bennet held a nearly 30-point advantage a year earlier.
Doug Friednash, a Colorado Democratic strategist, called the race a toss-up. Weiser has sued the Trump administration 66 times as attorney general. Bennet announced his candidacy on April 11, 2025, outside the Museum of Nature and Science in Denver and participated in two of 62 Senate roll-call votes in June 2026.
On the Republican side, state Rep. Scott Bottoms and state Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer compete for the nomination, joined by ministry leader Victory Marx. Polls close at 9 p.m. EDT. If elected governor, Bennet would vacate his Senate seat, allowing the governor to appoint a replacement until 2028.
Bennet has said he would name his own successor. In the Denver-area 1st Congressional District, Rep. Diana DeGette faces a primary challenge from Melat Kiros, who is nearly three decades younger than the 68-year-old incumbent.
