DENVER — Two well-credentialed Democrats are competing to become Colorado’s next governor, with U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet and Attorney General Phil Weiser set to meet voters in a June 30 primary that will define the party’s path into the fall campaign season.
Why It Matters
Colorado’s governor’s office is open after Gov. Jared Polis reaches his term limit, leaving a vacancy that will be filled by whoever emerges from competitive primaries on both sides. The Democratic contest is unfolding against a backdrop of state budget strain, a slipping clean energy deadline, contested labor and housing laws, and continuing friction over immigration enforcement between state and federal authorities.
Who Is Running
At 61, Bennet carries perhaps the longest federal résumé in the race. Gov. Bill Ritter appointed him to the U.S. Senate in 2009, and he subsequently won reelection three times — in 2010, 2016, and most recently 2022. His career before Washington included running Denver Public Schools as superintendent and serving as chief of staff in Denver’s city government under then-Mayor John Hickenlooper. He also managed investments for the Anschutz family and launched a brief 2020 presidential bid. His academic credentials include Wesleyan University and Yale Law School.
Weiser, 58, won the attorney general’s office in 2018 and secured a second term four years later. His pre-election career centered on legal academia — he was dean of the University of Colorado Law School — and federal government service, where he handled antitrust work under both the Clinton and Obama administrations. He holds a degree from Swarthmore College and a law degree from New York University.
Policy Fault Lines
TABOR: Colorado’s Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights, passed by voters as a constitutional amendment in 1992, caps how fast state revenues can grow. Both candidates want changes to it, though their approaches differ in tone. Bennet has stated plainly, “I think that we should reform the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights so that we can invest in our kids, we can invest in our teachers.” Weiser frames the same goal around public engagement first: “My plan would be: let’s go to the public, give them the concerns, outline the opportunity, and give people a sense of understanding and buy-in to help us reform and improve TABOR.”
Medicaid Costs: State Medicaid expenditures are currently rising faster than Colorado’s tax revenue base, creating a structural imbalance that the next governor will have to address. How to control those costs without reducing coverage has become a point of contrast between the two candidates.
Renewable Energy: Colorado set a goal of generating all its electricity from renewable sources by 2040, but the state is no longer on pace to reach that target. The question of how aggressively to pursue the deadline — and who bears the financial burden of doing so — separates the candidates on energy policy.
Labor Law: Under the Colorado Labor Peace Act, 75% of a workplace’s employees must sign on before a union gains authority to require all workers to contribute collective bargaining fees. That threshold exceeds what federal labor law mandates, and whether to lower it is a live debate between the two campaigns.
Rent Control: Current state law bars cities and counties from enacting rent-control ordinances. Whether Colorado should lift that prohibition and allow local governments to experiment with housing-cost policies is another area dividing the candidates.
Immigration: Legislation that would have directed state and local police to step in when federal immigration agents are accused of using excessive force was introduced in the state legislature this year but did not pass. Each candidate has had to define how they view the boundaries of state authority relative to federal enforcement operations.
By the Numbers
- June 30: Colorado Democratic primary election date
- 75%: Worker authorization threshold required under the Labor Peace Act before unions can collect fees from all employees
- 2040: Target year for Colorado’s 100% renewable electricity goal — currently off track
- 1992: Year TABOR was enacted as a constitutional amendment
- 3: Number of Senate reelection victories Bennet has secured since his 2009 appointment
What’s Next
Colorado Democratic voters head to the polls on June 30. The primary winner advances to a November general election against the Republican nominee. With the governorship open and multiple unresolved policy questions on the table — from fiscal sustainability to energy transition costs — both national and state observers are monitoring how the race develops in the weeks remaining before the vote.