Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet has raised more than $1.7 million since entering the Colorado gubernatorial race in April. He ended the second quarter with more than $1.3 million cash on hand.
The Bennet campaign said the haul was from 6,400 donors and is a record for a second quarter in an off-year.
“This record-breaking fundraising shows the strength of our movement. Together, we are forging the coalition it takes to build a Colorado where working people can get ahead and to show the entire country what leadership and hope look like, at a moment when it couldn’t matter more,” Bennet said in a statement.
Bennet has been a statewide name since 2009, when he was appointed to fill the rest of then Sen. Ken Salazar’s seat. He’s since won re-election three times to the Senate. In 2022, Bennet beat his Republican challenger 56 percent to 41 percent.
Bennet’s entry into the governor’s race has essentially frozen the field to two main Democratic candidates: Bennet and current Attorney General Phil Weiser, who entered the race in January.
Weiser’s campaign reported raising just over $1 million dollars in Q2. It’s down from the almost $2 million he raised in the first quarter, before Bennet got into the race. And Weiser has nearly $2.5 million cash on hand.
“People from all over Colorado are showing up for our campaign because they know that we’re committed to protecting our rights and freedoms, making life more affordable for all Coloradans, and creating opportunities for our next generation,” Weiser said in a statement. “Coloradans are looking for a governor who will fight for them at every turn. That’s what I’ve been doing as AG, and that’s what I’ll keep doing as Governor.”
A poll released in mid-June by the Bennet campaign shows the Senator has larger name ID and favorability than Weiser, which the Global Strategy Group said converts into votes better.
In 2026, the Colorado gubernatorial seat is considered a safe or solid Democratic one, which means the real race may be the Democratic primary.
Both Democratic candidates have been strong fundraisers in the past for their current jobs. Weiser raised almost $5 million for his 2022 Attorney General run, while Bennet raised more than $22 million for his Senate re-election campaign that year.
In 2022, Gov. Jared Polis raised almost $13 million for his re-election as governor and beat his Republican challenger in the general election by almost 20 points.
On the Republican side of the gubernatorial race, state Rep. Scott Bottoms reported raising just under $30,000 and ended the quarter with just under $10,000 cash on hand, while Teller County Sheriff Jason Mikesell raised just over $25,000 and ended the quarter with just over $24,000 cash on hand. Other candidates such as state Sen. Mark Baisley and former Rep. Greg Lopez, have yet to file their second quarter fundraising numbers which are due on July 15.
More than 30 candidates have filed paperwork with the state for the 2026 gubernatorial race, including eight unaffiliated candidates, a Libertarian, a No Labels, and an American Constitution Party candidate.
