Phil Weiser wants his Democratic challenger to keep his job. He says its actually best for Coloradans. He’ll find out Tuesday if state primary election voters feel the same way.
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That’s not just because Weiser, the state’s attorney general, wants to become Colorado’s next governor, but, he says, because the state would lose out on power in Congress should Sen. Michael Bennet vacate his seat in the upper chamber and appoint a “newbie.”
“Michael Bennet, when the Democrats take the Senate, will be chair of the Agricultural Committee, which is a great interest to Colorado,” Weiser said in an interview with the Deseret News. “If we were to get a newbie senator, that newbie senator in 2027, we would have to wait for this until 2045 before we had a senator with seniority and experience that Michael Bennet has now.”
Still, that’s if Democrats take control in November. They currently have 47 Senate seats to the GOP’s 53, but several states are in play this year.
The state of Colorado has, over the past decade, consistently leaned more to the left, shifting from a purple state to one that mostly elects Democrats.
It’s also a state that’s drawn the ire of the administration. Since taking office again last year, the Trump administration has cut off federal money over alleged fraud, attempted to restrict Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program funds, shut down a leading climate research center and moved the Space Command headquarters to Alabama, among other things.
Weiser, described by The New York Times as a “scrappy” fighter, is looking to position himself as the candidate most willing to stand up to President Donald Trump and his administration.
Weiser announced his bid to replace outgoing Gov. Jared Polis last January. He was viewed as a sort of long-shot contender against Bennet, who has been the senior senator for the state since 2009. However, in the days leading up to the primary election, it’s become a neck-and-neck race.
Weiser has a sizable lead over Bennet in primary polling among voters who have made up their minds, meaning undecided voters will have the final say come Tuesday, the Colorado Sun reported.
Weiser, who has served as attorney general since 2019, is highlighting his experience fighting back against the Trump administration, filing 66 lawsuits against the president during that time.
Meanwhile, he’s criticized Bennet over his votes to approve Trump administration Cabinet picks, including Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum.
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Bennet, the state’s former superintendent of Denver Public Schools, has stated he regrets voting for Wright, but stands by the others. He argued that the state needs the resources that those departments can give them.
Bennet and Weiser agree on most issues, like tax policy, nuclear power, the Western water debate and more. Where they have tried to set themselves apart is when it comes to Trump.
“A big difference in this race is, what’s your approach to the Trump administration? Are you committed to fighting back, standing for our rights? Or, as Sen. Bennet has said, do you want to support some of these Trump administration Cabinet picks because you think maybe it’ll get you a better relationship?” Weiser questioned.
The Deseret News reached out to Bennet’s campaign multiple times to schedule an interview, but they declined, an issue other news outlets are facing.
Other Colorado primary races
Other races in Colorado’s primary are making headlines. With recent wins in New York primaries, progressive candidates see a pathway to success they haven’t before.
Melat Kiros, a state House representative and democratic socialist, is looking to unseat Rep. Diana DeGette, who has represented Colorado’s 1st Congressional District since 1997.
Additionally, state Sen. Julie Gonzales is looking to end Sen. John Hickenlooper’s more than two decades in public service.
With Bennet facing pressure from Weiser, all eyes are on the Mile High City to see if the anti-incumbent movement will sweep over races there, too. Polling places say they will begin to release initial results around 7 p.m. MDT.
Weiser argued that the trend seen among Democratic voters in this year’s primaries is that they want people who will be fighters and aren’t trying to “curry favor” with billionaires or the administration.
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