Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser scored an upset victory in the state's Democratic gubernatorial primary, defeating Senator Michael Bennet, according to CNN and other projections. Bennet, who had significantly more fundraising and establishment backing, was painted during the campaign as a Washington insider, a narrative that resonated with primary voters. The result reshapes the race to succeed term-limited Governor Jared Polis.
Weiser's win gives Democrats a centrist state attorney general at the top of the ticket heading into the general election, though policy differences between the two were relatively muted on key issues like housing and climate. The primary outcome signals a rejection of the more moderate, D.C.-focused approach embodied by Bennet, who remains in the Senate. Both candidates had emphasized their records on public safety and conservative-leaning states' rights, but Weiser's ground game proved decisive.
In the Senate primary, incumbent John Hickenlooper defeated state senator Julie Gonzales, a progressive labor organizer who launched a surprisingly robust challenge from the left. Decision Desk HQ projected Hickenlooper's victory, though Gonzales campaigned heavily on Medicare for All and a Green New Deal. The race exposed lingering tensions between the party's establishment and its progressive wing, even as Hickenlooper avoided a full-blown intraparty revolt.
Across the state, progressive candidates saw mixed results. In the 8th Congressional District, Manny Rutinel, a progressive Democrat, won his primary for the competitive seat, according to Politico and The New York Times. But in Denver's 1st District, incumbent Diana DeGette lost her renomination bid to a Democratic Socialists of America-endorsed challenger, Idris Kiros, in a major upset reported by The Hill. Kiros took an early lead in the race, according to Colorado Public Radio.
On the Republican side, Representative Jeff Hurd won renomination in the 3rd Congressional District despite President Trump withdrawing a prior endorsement and backing primary challenger Hope Scheppelman. The reversal, tied to Hurd's lack of support for Trump's tariff agenda, did not derail his campaign. Colorado voters also backed incumbent Governor Jared Polis—who was not on the ballot—by wide margins in early exit polls, suggesting a durable preference for moderate leadership in the state.