Phil Weiser Wins Democratic Nomination for Colorado Governor

Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser is set to become the Democratic nominee for governor. As of the latest count, with 77% of votes tallied, Weiser has secured 54.7% of the vote, while Sen. Michael Bennet has 45.3%.

Weiser, who is limited to two terms in the Attorney General’s office, is pursuing the governor’s role for the first time. Similarly, this is Bennet’s initial attempt at securing the state’s top position.

Throughout a hectic primary election, Weiser positioned himself as the candidate for change, portraying Bennet as the political insider. This strategy came despite Weiser’s own eight years in office.

During the campaign, numerous attack ads targeted both Weiser and Bennet, focusing particularly on their perceived lack of strong ‘anti-Trump credentials’. CBS Colorado Political Reporter Shaun Boyd highlighted that Weiser faced criticism for accepting substantial campaign donations from 68 lawyers who had professional dealings with the Attorney General’s office, which Bennet pointed to as a possible conflict of interest.

The Democratic nominee will compete against the Republican candidate chosen in the Colorado GOP primary. The Republican contenders include State Sen. Barb Kirkmeyer, State Rep. Scott Bottoms, and Victor Marx. Additionally, former Congressman Greg Lopez, who departed from the Republican Party in January, is running as an unaffiliated candidate for governor.

For the past two decades, a Democrat has held Colorado’s governor office. The upcoming election is on November 3rd.