DENVER — Voters on Tuesday chose Attorney General Phil Weiser over Sen. Michael Bennet to lead the Democrats in the 2026 gubernatorial election, the Associated Press has declared.
As of Tuesday evening, Weiser had more than 54% of the vote with 77% reporting.
During the campaign, Weiser attacked Bennet for voting for Trump nominees and Bennet lambasted Weiser for not joining state lawsuits against first Trump administration.
“The attorney general says he’s really tough but was completely missing in action in Donald Trump’s first term," Bennet said in a recent debate.
Weiser accused Bennet of a weak response to the president. But he also said Bennet should remain in the Senate instead of running for governor.
“You’ve made some mistakes; you didn’t stand up the way you should. I know you can shape up, use your seniority," Weiser told Bennet during a debate. “With all that experience, to throw it away, would be such a waste for Colorado.”
With Colorado a blue state, Tuesday's Democratic winner will be seen as the favorite to defeat the winner of the GOP primary and take over from term-limited Gov. Jared Polis.
The three main candidates seeking the Republican nomination included state Rep. Scott Bottoms, a farther right state lawmaker. State Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer was considered the more conventional Republican, while Victor Marx was something of a wild card candidate with an eclectic past.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
