By In a move that reflects growing Democratic frustration with the direction of national politics, U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet formally launched his bid for governor of Colorado on Friday. His entry immediately reshapes the race to succeed term-limited Gov. Jared Polis and positions Bennet—now in his third term in the U.S. Senate—as the early Democratic frontrunner.
Leaning heavily on his legislative record in Washington, Bennet framed his candidacy as a moderate continuation of the people-first pragmatism he championed in the Senate. He highlighted signature efforts to expand the Child Tax Credit, rein in prescription drug prices, and safeguard Colorado’s public lands—initiatives he described as proof of his ability to deliver tangible results in an era of political dysfunction, reported Politico.
“Our best solutions to these challenges will not come from the broken politics practiced in Washington,” Bennet said, but instead from the state level.
The gubernatorial hopeful has already received multiple endorsements from Democrats in his home state, including his fellow Sen. John Hickenlooper, a former governor who offered his “wholehearted” endorsement Friday morning, and Rep. Joe Neguse, who lauded Bennet’s track record of service to the state and called him a “visionary public servant.”
Democratic state Attorney General Phil Weiser is also already in the race.
Bennet’s seat in the Senate is not up until 2028, and he does not need to resign to run. Should he win his bid for the state’s top office, Bennet will likely have the opportunity of selecting someone to replace him as Colorado senator. Whoever is appointed to the seat could run for a full term in 2028.
For Bennet, the governor’s race is more than a career move. It’s a strategic recalibration—one that reflects a larger Democratic effort to reclaim momentum in the states as they currently sit without much power in Congress.
In recent weeks, wrote The New York Times, “Bennet has emerged as vocal critic not only of Mr. Trump but also of his own party. He has argued that Democrats have failed to connect with working-class voters and must find a way to reinvent their party’s brand.
‘The Democratic Party needs to use this moment of having been repudiated at the national level, to figure out a creative and imaginative agenda for the 21st century that’s going to lift the fortunes of working people and the middle class all across this country,’ he said in an interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press” last month.
He has also expressed frustration with the Senate, denouncing its polarization and the inability of members to work across the aisle to pass major legislation. He has criticized Democrats in the Senate as lacking leadership and a strategy.
Mr. Bennet’s decision is part of larger trend of Democrats heading for the exits, either for retirement or to pursue governor’s mansions in their home states. Their desire to leave reflects the party’s relative powerlessness in a Republican-controlled Congress and the uphill battle to seize back the Senate.”
In the House, a number of high-profile Democrats are already positioning themselves for statewide office, with Virginia’s Abigail Spanberger and New Jersey Representatives Josh Gottheimer and Mikie Sherrill each launching bids for governor. Their exits reflect a broader recalibration within the party, as members seek distance from a gridlocked Congress and bet on executive leadership as the more viable path forward.
In the Senate, the early retirement wave has begun. Tina Smith of Minnesota, Gary Peters of Michigan, and Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire have all announced they will not seek re-election in 2026—an ominous signal for Democrats already bracing for a difficult cycle. More departures are expected in the months ahead, compounding the party’s challenge of defending an aging bench amid mounting voter dissatisfaction.
Bennet ran unsuccessfully for president in 2020, with many Democrats believing he wasn’t radical enough for the White House.
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