Michael Bennet
- Michael Bennet (D-CO) is a two-term Colorado senator who won a competitive 2022 re-election by 13 points in a year that was otherwise difficult for Democrats nationally.
- Colorado has shifted from competitive to solidly Democratic at the statewide level over the past decade, driven by suburban growth along the Front Range and a growing college-educated electorate.
- Bennet ran for president in 2020 and withdrew before Iowa — he is seen as a pragmatic centrist within the Democratic caucus, aligned with moderates on fiscal policy while being progressive on climate.
- He chairs the Senate Agriculture subcommittee on nutrition and has been a leading voice on education reform, having previously served as Denver Public Schools superintendent.
Career Timeline
Policy Positions
Schools Chief to Senate
Bennet came to the Senate through an unusual path: school administrator, not politician. His tenure as Denver Public Schools superintendent was controversial — he pursued ambitious reforms including teacher pay-for-performance and school closures that drew both praise from reformers and criticism from union allies. That background gives him genuine expertise on education policy and a reputation as a pragmatic problem-solver willing to challenge Democratic orthodoxy on teachers unions when he thinks it is warranted.
Gang of Eight Immigration Deal
Bennet's most significant legislative achievement was helping negotiate the 2013 comprehensive immigration polling bill as part of the bipartisan "Gang of Eight" — a group of four Democratic and four Republican senators that included Marco Rubio, John McCain, Dick Durbin, and Chuck Schumer. The bill passed the Senate 68-32 but died in the House, blocked by Republican leadership under Speaker John Boehner. Bennet has continued to advocate for comprehensive immigration polling and was an early supporter of the 2024 bipartisan border deal that ultimately failed.
Not on 2026 Ballot — CO Approval 49%
Bennet is a Class 3 senator, re-elected in 2022, and will not face voters until 2028. Colorado approval: 49%, reflecting his moderate positioning in a state that leans Democratic but is not reliably so in all conditions. Colorado has trended blue over the past decade as its suburban demographics shifted, but it has a competitive Republican statewide tradition. Bennet's 2022 win by 9 points over a competitive Republican challenger suggests solid standing. His 2020 presidential campaign was notable for substance over flash — he focused on policy rather than catchphrases.
