Colorado Democratic Governor Primary Turns Combative as Bennet and Weiser Clash Over Trump Record
Why It Matters
Colorado’s Democratic gubernatorial primary is shaping up as one of the most contentious intraparty races the state has seen in recent years. With mail ballots set to go out ahead of the June 30 primary, the battle between former U.S. Senator Michael Bennet and Attorney General Phil Weiser is intensifying — and the central fault line is not housing costs or education policy, but each candidate’s record of resistance to President Donald Trump.
What Happened
When Bennet entered the governor’s race roughly a year ago, the expectation was that both he and Weiser would compete on a broad range of domestic policy issues — affordability, childcare, the housing shortage, and teen mental health among them. Both candidates have put forward serious policy platforms on those fronts.
In practice, however, the race has narrowed sharply. Television advertising from both camps has focused almost exclusively on who is the more credible fighter against the Trump administration, with other policy contrasts largely failing to break through with voters.
Weiser’s campaign has centered heavily on his office’s legal offensive against the current Trump administration, citing participation in 64 lawsuits filed against federal actions. Bennet has pushed back on that framing, arguing that Weiser personally initiated only four of those suits and has been taking credit for the remaining 60 by joining multistate coalitions led by other attorneys general.
Weiser disputes that characterization, saying he has led or co-led in 16 of the cases. He has also accused Bennet of being too accommodating to Trump, pointing specifically to the senator’s votes confirming eight of Trump’s cabinet nominees.
Bennet has escalated the exchange at recent candidate forums, drawing a statistical contrast: Weiser joined fewer than 30 percent of available multistate lawsuits against Trump during the president’s first term, but has signed on to more than 80 percent during the current term. Bennet frames the shift as political opportunism tied to Weiser’s gubernatorial ambitions. Weiser has rejected that characterization, calling it an attack on his integrity.
By the Numbers
- 64 — total lawsuits the Weiser campaign says the AG’s office has joined against the second Trump administration
- 4 — lawsuits Bennet’s campaign says Weiser personally initiated, versus 60 joined as part of multistate coalitions
- 16 — lawsuits Weiser says he has led or co-led
- 8 — Trump cabinet nominees Bennet voted to confirm, cited by Weiser as evidence of insufficient opposition
- June 30 — Colorado Democratic primary election date, with mail ballots already going out to voters
Zoom Out
Colorado is among a group of Democratic-leaning states — alongside California, Minnesota, New York, and Illinois — that the Trump administration has placed in its political crosshairs, creating pressure within those states’ Democratic parties to field candidates with strong anti-administration credentials. That dynamic has made resistance posture a threshold issue in Democratic primaries across the country, often crowding out other policy debates.
The fundraising dimension of the race also reflects national networks at play. Bennet has benefited from an outside PAC backed largely by former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Weiser, meanwhile, has posted record fundraising totals from his own campaign operation, giving the primary unusually high financial stakes for a state-level race.
Colorado’s current governor has drawn criticism from some Democrats for not taking a more aggressive posture toward the Trump administration — a backdrop that has further elevated resistance credentials as the defining measure in this primary. Separately, the state is also navigating elevated wildfire risk heading into summer and ongoing debates over economic development, including a failed effort to attract data centers through tax incentives.
What’s Next
Mail ballots are already being distributed to Colorado Democratic primary voters, meaning the window for either candidate to significantly shift the race is closing. Both campaigns are expected to intensify advertising and forum appearances through the final weeks before June 30. The winner will face the challenge of unifying a Democratic base that has watched its two leading candidates spend months trading sharp personal accusations — a dynamic that could complicate general election coalition-building regardless of who prevails.