The Denver Post’s Nick Coltrain profiles a two-man Democratic primary for Colorado governor and the praise parade that comes with it. Former Denver mayor Federico Peña lauds Michael Bennet as an “extraordinary public servant,” while fellow former mayor Michael Hancock calls Phil Weiser a “tremendous attorney general.” The piece frames Bennet and Weiser as heavyweights who have effectively cleared the field as Democrats look to succeed term-limited Jared Polis.
The article lays out résumés and vibes. Weiser is the lawsuit machine who has spent his tenure tangling with the Trump administration and touting consumer cases. Bennet is the longest-serving Colorado senator in 50 years, with a signature push to expand the federal child tax credit. Both have money, endorsements, and seven months to convince voters they are the right manager for an era the paper frames around Trump.
The Bullet Point Brief
- Two-man Dem lane. The Post says Bennet and Weiser “cleared the field,” while Republicans face a crowded primary with little fundraising heat.
- Peña and Hancock split-screen. Peña praises Bennet; Hancock praises Weiser. Translation: the establishment likes both, just not for the same office at the same time.
- Weiser’s record is courtroom-centric. He sued the Trump administration 43 times this year with 25 claimed wins, led on opioid settlements, fought the Kroger–Albertsons merger, and floated banning algorithmic rent setting. He also backed a constitutional change to allow partisan map-drawing if other states do it.
- Bennet’s calling cards are federal. He championed the temporary expanded child tax credit in 2021 and now pitches child care, education, and housing ideas. He drew flak for saying he would time a Senate resignation to appoint his own successor if he wins.
- Metrics light, messaging heavy. The piece catalogs endorsements and cash hauls, notes a poll with Bennet ahead and Weiser’s low name ID, and repeats affordability themes without concrete state-level results tied to either man.
My Bottom Line
Colorado is hurting on affordability and household budgets. Jobs and small business confidence are not where they should be. Crime and public safety remain real concerns for families. This article gives us a glossy brochure about two Democrats trading compliments and endorsements, not receipts on outcomes. If Bennet is the old guard and Weiser is the courtroom warrior, where are the Colorado wins that moved prices down, paychecks up, and crime in the right direction?
Weiser’s highlight reel is mostly fights with Washington and corporate litigation. That may thrill activists, but families want to know if their rent went down or if their street got safer. Bennet’s marquee achievement is a federal tax credit expansion that expired after about six months. That is a D.C. moment, not a Colorado turnaround. Meanwhile, the Post quotes bumper stickers and big donor lists as if either measures success at the grocery store.
Different clowns, same circus. If this is the Democratic bench, Colorado is being offered a third term of the same formula that made everything more expensive and less safe. The state deserves leadership measured by outcomes, not fan clubs and fire-side chats.
Source: The Denver Post
