WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet confirmed to reporters at the Capitol on Monday that he is considering a run for Colorado governor in the 2026 election.
The senator said it is important to consider “the best place to oppose policies of the Trump administration that are going to hurt my state and hurt states all over the country.”
Bennet’s strong opposition to President Donald Trump’s policies contrasts with those of Gov. Jared Polis, who has tried to find common ground and limit harsh criticism of the administration. Polis was first elected in 2018 and is term-limited in 2026.
Bennet has spent the past several weeks delivering passionate speeches on the Senate floor, questioning Trump’s executive picks, filing legislation, and writing letters to various government agencies and officials in opposition to Trump. Most of this legislation, though, is unlikely to reach a vote.
Several letters have raised concerns about the treatment of federal workers, including firings at agencies like the U.S. Forest Service. Bennet invited a terminated Forest Service worker to join him at Trump’s joint address to Congress on Tuesday evening.
In early February, Bennet and Polis, alongside fellow Colorado Sen. John Hickenlooper penned a letter to Office of Management and Budget Russell Vought, demanding answers about Colorado agencies being locked out of federal funding after a federal judge ordered a temporary pause on Trump’s attempt to freeze federal grants.
Democrats have a minority in both chambers of Congress, meaning the party has limited power to oppose the Republican policy agenda. Most bills must clear the 60-vote filibuster in the Senate, requiring some Democratic support, but Senate confirmations of executive branch officials require only a majority, as do bills in the House.
On a Feb. 13 call with Colorado journalists, Bennet said the Democratic Party is in a “profoundly problematic position” that runs deeper than dealing with Trump.
“We have to figure out how to get to a place where we are providing a vision for the country that is compelling to them so that we can overcome Trumpism in the long term,” he said.
Bennet made a reference to something he and other congressional leaders said during the early days of Trump’s second presidency – that Democrats shouldn’t swing at every perceived transgression but should pick and choose which issues to fight.
“It's very important for us to select our battles in ways that make sense to the American people where Donald Trump is going horribly wrong in their interest and where we can battle back,” he said.
Then-Gov. Bill Ritter appointed Bennet to the Senate in 2009 to replace former Sen. Ken Salazar, who had been appointed to lead the Department of the Interior. Bennet won reelection in the following year and most recently in 2022 with nearly 56% of the vote. If Bennet stays in the Senate, his next election would be in 2028.
Bennet doesn’t have to resign to pursue the race, but if he does, Polis would appoint a replacement to serve the rest of Bennet’s term.
Attorney General Phil Weiser, another Democrat, announced he plans to run for governor in January.
The Colorado Sun first reported Friday that Bennet is considering a gubernatorial run, citing senior aides who said he had made calls to civic leaders and other political leaders as he contemplated his decision.
Kathryn Squyres is an intern for The Durango Herald and The Journal in Cortez and a student at American University in Washington, D.C. She can be reached at ksquyres@durangoherald.com.
