{"id":491866,"date":"2026-06-24T03:05:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-24T09:05:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/coloradosun.com\/?p=491866"},"modified":"2026-06-23T17:40:43","modified_gmt":"2026-06-23T23:40:43","slug":"littwin-bennet-weiser-governor-senator-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/coloradosun.com\/2026\/06\/24\/littwin-bennet-weiser-governor-senator-future\/","title":{"rendered":"Littwin: Dem gov race could dictate the future \u2014 an old senator or perhaps a history-making new one"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Today\u2019s column about the Democratic primary for governor between Michael Bennet and Phil Weiser isn\u2019t actually about Bennet or Weiser, at least not directly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s about the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Which, as we know, is hard to predict, as either Niels Bohr or Yogi Berra<\/a> once said. I guess it\u2019s easier than I imagined to confuse a Nobel Prize winning physicist with a Hall of Fame catcher.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But, in any case, if Weiser wins the primary and then becomes governor \u2014 either Democrat would be a heavy favorite against the Republican candidate in November \u2014 Bennet stays in the Senate. And the one big remaining question in the race \u2014 who would succeed Bennet? \u2014 is answered. There would be no succession.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since Bennet entered the race, Weiser\u2019s slogan has been, \u201cWeiser for governor; Bennet for senator.\u201d Of course, Weiser has been hard at work ever since telling us about Bennet\u2019s failings as a senator. But he answers the contradiction by saying he thinks Bennet can do better, plus there\u2019s the matter of Bennet\u2019s seniority that he would be leaving on the table.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Want early access to <\/strong>
Mike’s columns?<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Subscribe to get an
exclusive first look at
his columns twice a week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
SUBSCRIBE<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

In reply, Bennet jokes that his mother is the only person in his family who wants him to stay in the Senate and that she wants him to die on the Senate floor. When Weiser says his mother also wants Bennet to stay in the Senate, Bennet says that makes two people who want him to die on the Senate floor. Research says no senator has ever actually died on the Senate floor, but, in any case, Bennet is only 61, meaning actuarially speaking, he\u2019s got years to go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s how I see the future if Weiser wins: Bennet would slink back to Washington to complete the last two years of his third term and then decide whether to run again. And Weiser would make life hell for his successor as state attorney general, constantly saying if he still had the job, he would have filed three lawsuits against the Trump administration by 3 p.m.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By the way, has Fightin\u2019 Phil filed a lawsuit against someone to get to the bottom of the reflecting pool scandal, which is a microcosm of the Trump Restoration? Usually Donald Trump blames Biden or especially Obama for his foulups. Surprisingly, Trump seems to agree this time with Bob Dylan, who wrote, of course, that \u201cthe pump don\u2019t work \u2019cause the vandals took the handles.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If Bennet wins, though, then it\u2019s chaos, but maybe a good kind of chaos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bennet told us from the start that he would pick his successor if and when he became governor. This, I believe, was a smart move because it would mean that if Bennet had quit the Senate early, Jared Polis would name a successor \u2014 and for all we know, it could be RFK Jr., who was, until sometime in 2024, a lifelong Democrat. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you caught Jesse Paul\u2019s piece<\/a> in The Sun Tuesday, you know that Bennet has said he hasn\u2019t really thought about whom he would name \u2014 do you have trouble believing that? \u2014 and that the only real clue he has given is that his successor would be under the age of 50, which, I believe, was offered up just to taunt us. Or maybe to taunt Polis, who\u2019s barely over 50 and whom Bennet had already disqualified as his choice to succeed him when Polis freed election grifter Tina Peters from prison.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It so happens that three ascendant Colorado Dems \u2014 U.S. Reps. Jason Crow, Joe Neguse and Brittany Pettersen \u2014 are all under 50. But as Paul points out, there are 500,000 Coloradans between the ages of 30 \u2014 that\u2019s the minimum age to be a senator \u2014 and 50. That makes for a lot of choices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you haven\u2019t yet voted \u2014 meaning you\u2019re either the kind who votes on Election Day because it seems small-d democratic, you\u2019re a procrastinator (I can relate) or you\u2019re a MAGA cultist who believes, without evidence, that mail-in voting leads to fraud \u2014 this could determine your choice for governor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\t\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t \u2600\ufe0f MORE FROM MIKE LITTWIN<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t
\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

Littwin: In the wake of Trump\u2019s humiliation in Iran, he has only one card to play \u2014 lie<\/a><\/h3>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

Littwin: Did Weiser really bail on a debate? The charge itself tells us Bennet is worried about the race.<\/a><\/h3>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

Littwin: One question newly minted trillionaire Elon Musk can\u2019t answer: When is too much ever too much?<\/a><\/h3>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

I confess I have no idea who will win the Dem primary. My only guess \u2014 actually a sure thing \u2014 is that Colorado\u2019s counting, however long it takes, will take far less time than California\u2019s. Meanwhile, there\u2019s been hardly any polling on Colorado\u2019s extensive primary slate. Yes, the betting markets<\/a> give Bennet a sizable lead over Weiser, for whatever that\u2019s worth. Bennet just loaned his campaign nearly a million bucks, which must mean he\u2019s not quite as confident as the betting-market guys.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fortunately, we know one important thing about all the Colorado races that doesn\u2019t require prediction \u2014 the future, ever so tantalizing, will definitely arrive next Tuesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n

Mike Littwin<\/a> has been a columnist for too many years to count. He has covered Dr. J, four presidential inaugurations, six national conventions and countless brain-numbing speeches in the New Hampshire and Iowa snow<\/em><\/em>. Sign up for Mike’s newsletter.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

The Colorado Sun is a nonpartisan news organization, and the opinions of columnists and editorial writers do not reflect the opinions of the newsroom. <\/a>Read our ethics policy for more on The Sun\u2019s opinion policy<\/a><\/strong>. Learn how to submit a column<\/a>. Reach the opinion editor at opinion@coloradosun.com<\/a>.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Follow Colorado Sun Opinion on Facebook<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Columnist Mike Littwin writes that the Democratic gubernatorial primary will dictate the future of Colorado’s U.S. Senate seat. Will it mark a historic shift?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":276396,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"single-feature.php","format":"standard","meta":{"credibility_indicators":{"original_reporting":false,"on_the_ground":false,"sources_cited":false,"subject_specialist":false},"gigafact_has_fact_brief":false,"gigafact_remote_fact_brief_post_id":0,"gigafact_remote_sync_timestamp":"","gigafact_remote_sync_status":"","gigafact_remote_sync_response":"","gigafact_has_been_published":false,"newspack_ads_suppress_ads":false,"newspack_popups_has_disabled_popups":false,"newspack_sponsor_sponsorship_scope":"","newspack_sponsor_native_byline_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_native_category_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_style":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_placement":"inherit","apple_news_api_created_at":"2026-06-24T09:05:47Z","apple_news_api_id":"cc65eadd-60b7-4c57-81b7-509198533b88","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2026-06-24T09:05:47Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAD\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/w==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/AzGXq3WC3TFeBt1CRmFM7iA","apple_news_cover_media_provider":"image","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_cover_video_id":0,"apple_news_cover_video_url":"","apple_news_cover_embedwebvideo_url":"","apple_news_is_hidden":"","apple_news_is_paid":"","apple_news_is_preview":"","apple_news_is_sponsored":"","apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":[],"apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false,"_newspack_byline_active":false,"_newspack_byline":"","newspack_hide_updated_date":false,"newspack_show_updated_date":false,"newspack_content_restriction_is_exempt":false,"scaip_prevent_shortcode_addition":false,"newspack_featured_image_position":"hidden","newspack_post_subtitle":"If Bennet defeats Weiser, he says he\u2019ll appoint an under-50 successor. I\u2019ll bet you can name at least three likelies.","newspack_article_summary_title":"Overview:","newspack_article_summary":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,45],"tags":[759,1388,306,1069,262,125,92,8358],"newspack_spnsrs_tax":[],"type-of-work":[20871],"coauthors":[16952],"class_list":["post-491866","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-opinion","category-opinion-columns","tag-brittany-pettersen","tag-elections","tag-jason-crow","tag-joe-neguse","tag-michael-bennet","tag-phil-weiser","tag-politics","tag-senate","type-of-work-opinion","entry"],"credibility_indicators":[{"description":"This article contains firsthand information gathered by reporters. This includes directly interviewing sources and analyzing primary source documents.","label":"Original Reporting","slug":"original_reporting","icon":"<\/svg>"},{"description":"A journalist was physically present to report the article from some or all of the locations it concerns.","label":"On the Ground","slug":"on_the_ground","icon":"<\/svg>"},{"description":"This article includes a list of source material, including documents and people, so you can follow the story further.","label":"References","slug":"sources_cited","icon":"<\/g><\/svg>\n"},{"description":"The journalist and\/or newsroom have\/has a deep knowledge of the topic, location or community group covered in this article.","label":"Subject Specialist","slug":"subject_specialist","icon":"<\/svg>"}],"fact_brief":null,"apple_news_notices":[],"yoast_head":"\nLittwin: Gov race could yield old senator, perhaps historic new one<\/title>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n