Engage Colorado — The affirmative case for Michael Bennet Part 2

Newsletter — Issue 14 — May 27, 2026 | Part 2 of 2 on the Colorado Democratic Primary for Governor

This newsletter has been published by Engage Colorado.

The Affirmative Case for Michael Bennet for Colorado Governor

This Engage Colorado Newsletter was written by Dan Caruso with the support of the Caruso Ventures team. The Ensuring Colorado's Innovation Future Coalition did not review and has not endorsed this Engage Colorado Newsletter.

Most endorsement letters start with what is best about the candidate. I want to start with a clear, honest statement of who Michael Bennet actually is, ideologically — so that Coloradans who read this letter understand my view of Bennet as our next Governor.

Michael Bennet is far left of center. Though he sometimes positions himself as a moderate, his policy record and his campaign rhetoric are far more consistent with the far left wing of the Democratic Party than with the left center. Whether Bennet is more left, or less left, than Phil Weiser is, frankly, unclear to me. Coloradans who are hoping for a clear centrist option in the June 30 Democratic primary will not find one between these two candidates.

I personally would prefer the next Governor of Colorado to be more centrist than either Bennet or Weiser. That is not the choice in front of us. The next Governor is almost certainly going to be one of these two people. And on that question — which of the two — I strongly favor Michael Bennet.

I also believe Bennet is a fantastic human being who is intelligent, compassionate, and effective. For what it's worth, Phil Weiser is also someone I respect. He has been a friend for many years, and my endorsement of Bennet is not a personal judgment of Phil — it is about who I believe will be the better Governor for Colorado.

My Case for Bennet

Voters who want a far-left governor will be comfortable with Bennet. Voters who want a more centrist governor should be realistic about what they will get. I do not endorse Bennet as a centrist. I endorse him as a far-left-of-center candidate who will, in my view, be the better Governor for Colorado than Phil Weiser.

The reason Bennet will be a better Governor has little to do with ideology and almost everything to do with two structural facts: his real-world executive experience, and his career-stage.

Those two structural facts lead me to three behavioral predictions. First, I believe Bennet is more likely to work constructively with Colorado's tech and innovation ecosystem — including with leaders whose political views differ from his own — because his focus will be on getting results for the people of Colorado, not on burnishing credentials for a future federal run. Second, I believe Bennet is more likely to be a unifier across all Coloradans — across the political spectrum, across geography, across industry — because his administration will not be auditioning before the national left for what comes next. Third, I believe Bennet is less likely to reach for the divisive, polarizing rhetoric, politically-driven lawsuits, and policy positions that prioritize activist-base approval over what is best for the state and residents of Colorado.

I Am Voting for the Hope of a Colorado Renaissance

For these reasons, I believe Bennet will play a leadership role in helping Colorado re-establish itself as the number-one ecosystem for innovation, regain our economic momentum, and do so in a way that benefits everyone in our state. With Bennet as Governor, the possibility opens for a kind of renaissance — where our schools, our health care, our housing supply, our safety and security, and our culture of innovation and entrepreneurship all take a meaningful turn for the positive, anchored by a true partnership between the Governor and the full spectrum of Colorado's tech, business, and community leaders. We could, once again, all be rowing in the same direction on reestablishing Colorado as a special place to pursue lives of harmony, creativity, and fulfillment.

I Am Voting Against the Continuation of Colorado's Negative Trajectory

My fear with Weiser is the opposite. I fear his Governorship will continue Colorado on a negative trajectory where our political leadership is more focused on divisive political rhetoric, politically-inspired lawsuits, and policies that stifle tech and innovation — harming the entire state in the process. Put it this way: if Florida and Texas voters could cast ballots in Colorado's election, I suspect most of them would vote for Weiser. Those states are benefiting most from Colorado's recent loss of momentum, and they'd be thrilled to see us continue our destructive anti-business, anti-innovation policies and political rhetoric.

I Ask You to Vote for Bennet on June 30

On June 30, I urge Democratic and unaffiliated voters to cast their primary ballots for Michael Bennet. The choice we make this June will shape Colorado for the next twenty years.

— Dan Caruso, Engage Colorado