Bennet reportedly poised to enter governor’s race, but Weiser says he’s still ‘all in to fight for Colorado’ in 2026

Colorado Governor’s Mansion in Denver.

With Colorado U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet reportedly set to announce his candidacy for Colorado governor in 2026, the state’s attorney general, Phil Weiser, made it clear on Thursday that he’s staying in the race.

According to Axios, Bennet, a Democrat, will announce his bid for the governor’s mansion Friday morning.

Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser, also a Democrat, announced his candidacy for governor back in early January. Current Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, a Democrat, is term-limited and therefore out of the running in 2026.

“The two candidates offer a contrast in styles and ideology with Bennet as the more moderate contender,” Axios reports. “Bennet voted in January to support President [Donald] Trump’s pick for Energy secretary, Chris Wright, touting the former Denver fracking executive’s ‘deep expertise.’ Meanwhile, Weiser is positioned as the state’s most prominent Trump adversary, using his powers to file more than a dozen lawsuits challenging the administration.”

Bennet’s campaign on Thursday sent out an email stating Bennet would make an unspecified announcement in Denver Friday morning.

In the following email blast to constituents Thursday afternoon, Weiser wrote “I am all in to fight for Colorado.” Here’s the full text of his email:

After three months of campaigning to serve as your Governor, I feel deeply grateful and more inspired than ever about the importance of our work ahead. The incredible support from all corners of Colorado has exceeded my expectations. We are supported by over 5,000 donors and have raised over $1.9 million (including $157K I could move from my Attorney General account). And our growing list of impressive endorsements from across the state is yet another source of encouragement.

When I started this race, I committed to running an ambitious, scrappy, and hard-fought campaign, leaving nothing to chance. I also understood this would be a competitive race, and now that it is reported we have our first opponent, this race is taking shape. Over time, our contrasts to others will become clear—in who we are, in how hard we fight, and how we will govern.

Here’s my promise to you: I am all in to fight for Colorado. I will stand up to this lawless federal administration and fight for our future. I won’t walk away, and I won’t back down. What we’re fighting for is too important.

I entered this race early to build support across our state, to listen to and engage with Coloradans, and to work with you to develop thoughtful, effective policy solutions to the challenges we face. I’m confident that together we will create a hopeful vision for Colorado’s future.

We’ll continue listening to and engaging with Coloradans to tackle critical issues like making life more affordable; improving the safety of our communities; protecting our land, air, and water; and ensuring our kids have a bright future.

And we’ll continue to protect Coloradans from lawless actions out of Washington, D.C.—actions that threaten our rights, rob our state of critical medical research funding, and rip apart programs and public institutions that so many people rely on.

When I first ran to be Attorney General, I promised to serve as the “People’s Lawyer,” and I have delivered on that promise. I have shown that I will not walk away from any fight, and now I’m running to be the “People’s Governor.”

Our campaign reflects the type of Governor I’ll be. I will show up. I will listen. I will fight for Colorado. And I will get things done. I’ll also shed light on the work I’ve accomplished for you as your Attorney General including our work on the opioid crisis (discussed further in this post) and our work standing up to the lawless actions of the Trump Administration (shared in my recent conversation with Alicia Menendez).

I believe our democracy is a team sport, and we have a tremendous team that will carry us to victory. Thanks for being with us and for giving me the honor of serving our state at this critical time.