Bennet’s Luck Ran Out

U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet gives a concession speech to supporters of his campaign in the Democratic gubernatorial primary during his election night watch party at Schoolyard Beer Garden in Denver on Tuesday, June 30, 2026. Attorney General Phil Weiser defeated Bennet to become the Democratic nominee for governor. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)

Senator Michael Bennet was a surprise appointment by Governor Bill Ritter to the U.S. Senate in January 2009. His first election has been the only real contest in his Senate career. He won it in 2010 by less than 30,000 votes (against DA Ken Buck). Bennet had two subsequent easy races against weak Republican opponents in 2016 and 2022. He benefited from serving during Trump’s dominance of local party politics. Trump is a pariah and lost the 2016, 2020 and 2024 presidential elections in Colorado.

But Bennet’s luck ran out in the 2026 June primary for governor after his risky and mostly unexplained decision to compete for the about-to-be-vacant seat of termed out Governor Jared Polis. He began the quest in early 2025 as the frontrunner due to name identification and access to significant financing but quickly faced tough questions as to why he was challenging a popular Attorney General, Phil Weiser. With his low-key demeanor, questions were quickly raised as to what he had accomplished after seventeen years in Washington, and especially to oppose Donald Trump.

Bennet’s advantage in super PAC money, especially large gifts from high profile non-progressive Democrat Michael Bloomberg, helped alienate progressives and boost Weiser. Bennet, a stalwart member of the Washington and Democratic Party establishment, was in an election where a younger generation of Democratic and unaffiliated voters were entering the electorate and passionate about change and hostile to what they perceived as a status quo establishment.

The last time he lost this dramatically was his failed presidential race and withdrawal after earning less than 1 percent of the vote in New Hampshire in 2020. Bennet still has two years in his Senate term but this loss is a deep political wound. Due to his even temperament and thoughtful, moderate approach, he is more popular in the Washington policy community than Colorado. He has many options as former Colorado officeholders Gary Hart, Tim Wirth, Roy Romer and Hank Brown demonstrated, but it’s not likely to be in elective office.

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