Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), an influential member of the Senate Democratic conference, who has been a leading voice on expanding the Child Tax Credit and supporting Ukraine in its war against Russia, says he will run for governor of Colorado next year.
Bennet will announce his gubernatorial campaign at an event with family and supporters in Denver’s City Park on Friday.
“I’m running for governor to build a brighter future in Colorado and give people a chance at a better life. The best solutions to our challenges will not come from Washington’s broken politics. They will come from us,” Bennet said in a statement.
“Together, we can make Colorado the best state to live, work and raise a family in, and provide the leadership and vision our country needs,” he said.
Bennet, a member of the powerful Senate Finance Committee, was a leading advocate for expanding the Child Tax Credit during President Biden’s first two years in office, when Democrats controlled the Senate and House.
The expanded tax credit that was included in the 2021 American Rescue Plan was credited with reducing child poverty by 20 percent to 30 percent across the country. It provided up to $3,600 per child under age 6 and up to $3,000 for children between aged 6 to 17.
If Bennet wins the governor’s race, he would become the fourth Democratic senator to step down from Congress at the end of 2026, joining Sens. Gary Peters (Mich.), Tina Smith (Minn.), and Jeanne Shaheen (N.H.).
Peters, Smith and Shaheen have all said they won’t run for re-election.
Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), who is 80, may also announce his retirement at the end of next year, though he’s keeping his plans close to the vest.
Bennet, who was appointed by then-Gov. Bill Ritter to fill the Senate seat vacated by former Rep. Ken Salazar (D-Colo.), has represented Colorado in Washington since 2009.
He served as the superintendent of the Denver public school system and as chief of staff for then-Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper before coming to the Senate.
He won re-election to the Senate in 2010, 2016 and 2022.
Bennet, who is 60, ran for president against a crowded Democratic field in 2020 but failed to gain much traction in the race. He dropped out after a poor showing in the New Hampshire primary.
He faces a primary contest next year against Phil Weiser, Colorado’s attorney general, who has already announced his plan to run for governor.
Weiser has joined lawsuits against the Trump administration to stop its plans to dismantle federal agencies and impose new voting restrictions on the states.
Several prominent Colorado leaders have already endorsed Bennet, including Hickenlooper, the junior senator from Colorado, Rep. Joe Neguse (D-Colo.), Rep. Jason Crow (D-Colo.), Denver Mayor Mike Johnston and former Denver Mayor Wellington Webb.
Neguse in a statement praised Bennet as a “kind, thoughtful and dedicated public servant who has always stood up for the people of our great state, from protecting public lands to fighting for Colorado’s kids.”
