Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser secured the Democratic nomination for governor on Thursday, defeating Senator Michael Bennet in a stunning upset that highlights growing discontent among Democratic voters with the party's establishment. CNN and NBC News projected Weiser's victory as he led Bennet 55% to 45% with approximately 77% of votes counted, shortly before 10 p.m. Eastern.
Weiser's Path to Victory
Weiser's triumph positions him as a strong frontrunner for the November general election in Colorado, a state that has consistently voted Democratic in presidential contests. Bennet, a former Denver schools chief who ran an unsuccessful presidential campaign in 2020, was initially considered the frontrunner, holding a 31-point lead in polling last summer. However, Weiser matched Bennet's fundraising and effectively highlighted contrasts between their records.
Weiser emphasized his 60-plus lawsuits against the Trump administration on issues like immigration and environmental policy, while criticizing Bennet for voting eight times to confirm Trump's cabinet nominees. In the final weeks, signs of a potential upset emerged when Bennet loaned his campaign $1 million and a pro-Weiser super PAC released a poll showing a substantial lead for the attorney general.
Implications for the Democratic Party
Although both candidates are broadly mainstream liberals, Bennet's loss is expected to be interpreted as further evidence of rank-and-file Democrats rebelling against party leadership following Trump's 2024 election victory. If Weiser wins the governorship, he will succeed outgoing Governor Jared Polis, a Democrat whose libertarian tendencies often led him to take a softer stance toward the Trump administration. Polis expressed support for parts of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s MAHA movement and commuted the sentence of Tina Peters, an elections official turned conspiracy theorist whose case became a personal cause for Trump.
