"Voters are still asking Michael Bennet why he wants to leave the Senate to become Colorado's governor."
— The Colorado Sun
The Matchup
The June 30, 2026 Democratic primary for governor pits two very different candidates against each other:
Michael Bennet
Three-term US Senator, former DPS Superintendent, 2020 presidential candidate.
Skipped the caucus/convention process
Petitioned onto the ballot with 17,000+ signatures
Running on establishment credentials and super PAC money
Phil Weiser
Colorado Attorney General. Dominating the caucus/assembly process.
Endorsed by Indivisible Colorado
Outraised Bennet in individual contributions ($4.5M vs. $3.5M)
Running on grassroots support and prosecutorial record
Both are seeking to replace term-limited Governor Jared Polis.
Key Issue
The Caucus Bypass
Colorado's Democratic caucus and convention process is where grassroots party activists vet candidates, ask hard questions, and decide who earns the party's support on the primary ballot. It is the standard path. It is the path Phil Weiser is taking.
Michael Bennet chose to skip it entirely. He gathered 17,000+ petition signatures to place himself directly on the June 30 primary ballot, bypassing the caucus/convention process where he would have faced rank-and-file Democratic activists.
The implication is straightforward: Bennet does not believe he can win the support of the Democratic Party's most engaged voters through the standard process. Whether that reflects strategic pragmatism or a genuine disconnect with the grassroots base is the central question of this primary.
The Money
The fundraising picture tells two different stories depending on where you look.
Individual Fundraising
Super PAC Fundraising
Weiser outraised Bennet in direct contributions — $4.5 million to $3.5 million. More individual donors gave more money to Weiser.
But Bennet's super PAC dwarfs Weiser's: $3.6 million to $560,000. This is establishment money — the kind of outside spending that allows a candidate to run a campaign without building the same grassroots infrastructure.
The fundraising pattern mirrors the caucus bypass: Bennet is running around the traditional Democratic Party infrastructure rather than through it.
The Polis Attacks
Bennet has made the unusual choice of attacking the sitting Democratic governor he hopes to succeed. He has called Jared Polis "allergic to building coalitions" and criticized his record on healthcare and housing.
The numbers make this strategy puzzling:
Polis Approval Among Democrats
Bennet Approval Among Democrats
Bennet is attacking a governor who is 15 points more popular than he is among the very voters he needs to win the primary. In a Democratic primary where the electorate is the Democratic base, this is a risky calculus. Bennet appears to be betting that Polis fatigue exists among voters even if it does not show up in approval polling.
The Senate Replacement Question
If Bennet wins the governor's race, he leaves a US Senate seat vacant. Colorado's governor would appoint a replacement. Bennet has declined to say who he thinks should fill the seat.
Critics, including Weiser, have called this disrespectful to voters. Colorado Democrats are being asked to trade a sitting US Senator for a governor candidate without knowing who would represent them in Washington. Bennet's refusal to address this question adds to the impression that his campaign is being run from the top down rather than from the grassroots up.
The Grassroots Response
Indivisible Colorado — the state's largest progressive grassroots organization — endorsed Phil Weiser. The caucus/assembly process, where Weiser is dominating, is the mechanism through which engaged Democratic activists express their preferences.
The endorsement pattern tells a story: the organized Democratic base is choosing Weiser. Bennet is relying on name recognition, super PAC spending, and a petition strategy that routes around grassroots engagement.
The 2026 Democratic primary for governor is a test case for whether establishment credentials and outside money can overcome grassroots organizing in Colorado. June 30 provides the answer.
