Us senator - michael bennet

US Senator - Michael Bennet

Party: Democrat | State: Colorado

2026-05-07

• First televised gubernatorial debate: Bennet and AG Phil Weiser faced off in the first televised debate in the Democratic primary for governor. Weiser repeatedly attacked Bennet for voting to confirm more of Trump's cabinet nominees than almost any other Democratic senator. Bennet defended his record and focused on affordability and Colorado priorities. Both campaigns claimed victory; Weiser's camp declared he "dominated."
  

Sources:
- Phil Weiser Dominates Michael Bennet in First Televised Debate — Phil Weiser for Colorado (campaign press release)

2026-05-15

• Running for Colorado Governor: Bennet announced his candidacy for the 2026 Colorado governor's race — the second major Democrat to enter after AG Phil Weiser. He has endorsements from Hickenlooper, Joe Neguse, Rep. Jason Crow, and Denver Mayor Mike Johnston. Released his first TV ad on May 12. A Bloomberg-backed super PAC has raised $2.5M in support.
  
• Taiwan letter: On May 13, Bennet and Sen. John Curtis (R-UT) led a bipartisan letter to Secretary of State Rubio reaffirming congressional support for the Taiwan Relations Act, ahead of Trump's summit with President Xi in Beijing.
  
• Disaster relief legislation: Bennet and Neguse introduced legislation to allow Congress to override a presidential denial of federal disaster relief funding and create a fast-track process to ensure states like Colorado are not left without support.
  
• Tina Peters commutation: Released a statement on May 15 regarding Governor Polis's decision to commute Tina Peters' sentence.
  
• Kevin Warsh nomination: On May 13, Bennet voted against confirming Kevin Warsh as Chairman of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors.
  
• HELP Act: On May 4, co-introduced the Humane Enforcement and Legal Protections (HELP) Act with Senators Tina Smith (MN) and Catherine Cortez Masto (NV).
  
• Shoshone water funding: On May 13, pushed to release an additional $92M in funding for remaining Colorado water projects, including the Shoshone water rights purchase.
  
• Treasury intelligence letter: On May 5, led a letter with 14 Senate colleagues to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent urging him to fully resume financial intelligence-sharing with allied nations.
  

Sources:
- Bennet announces run for Colorado governor — Colorado Newsline
- Sen. Bennet announces run for governor — 9News
- News — U.S. Senator Michael Bennet

2026-05-17

• Postal service letter: Led a bipartisan letter with Sen. Hickenlooper, Rep. Jeff Hurd (R-CO-3), and Rep. Neguse to Postmaster General David Steiner raising concerns about postal service.
  
• Wildfire preparedness: Co-signed the letter with Neguse pressing USDA and Interior to detail wildfire response plans for the summer, with a formal briefing request by May 29. (See Neguse 2026-05-16 for full details.)
  
• Labor groups forum with Weiser: Bennet and AG Phil Weiser answered yes-or-no questions at a forum organized by Coloradans for the Common Good at Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church. Labor and community groups pressed both candidates for direct answers on housing, wages, and workers' rights.
  

Sources (updated):
- Colorado labor groups press Bennet, Weiser for yes-or-no 'clarity' in governor forum — Colorado Newsline

Sources:
- News — U.S. Senator Michael Bennet

2026-05-18

• NCAR & NOAA protection: Joined Hickenlooper, Rep. Neguse, and Rep. Jeff Hurd (R-CO) in a bipartisan, bicameral coalition to protect sustained funding for the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder and to demand the Commerce Department reverse planned cuts to NOAA and its Colorado-based Cooperative Institutes.
  

Sources:
- Colorado Reps. Neguse & Hurd and Senators Bennet & Hickenlooper Mobilize Bipartisan, Bicameral Coalition to Protect NCAR — neguse.house.gov
- Hickenlooper, Bennet, Neguse Slam Trump Admin's Plan to Dismantle NCAR — hickenlooper.senate.gov

2026-05-19

• NRDC Action Fund endorsement: The NRDC Action Fund endorsed Bennet for Colorado Governor, citing his environmental record and work on climate and conservation policy.
  
• Education ballot measure: Endorsed a Colorado ballot measure to increase education funding.
  
• Housing platform centerpiece: Bennet has put housing affordability at the center of his gubernatorial bid, proposing that no working person should spend more than 30% of their income on housing and pointing to the economic growth that benefited older homeowners at the expense of younger Coloradans.
  

Sources:
- Michael Bennet puts housing costs at center of gubernatorial bid — CPR News
- Michael Bennet for Governor

2026-05-20

• ICE reform package — KIDS, TRUST, and OPEN Acts: Introduced a package of three bills targeting ICE and DHS accountability:
  
  • KIDS Act: Prohibits ICE from operating in sensitive locations (churches, schools) and from detaining children.
    
  • TRUST Act: Requires federal immigration officers to meet the same conduct, uniform, and identification standards expected of local law enforcement.
    
  • OPEN Act: Establishes oversight mechanisms and civil rights protections at immigration detention facilities.
    
• PUBLIC SAFETY Act: Joined colleagues to introduce legislation redirecting nearly $75 billion in ICE funding from the "One Big Beautiful Bill" to local law enforcement programs — projected to fund hiring and training of approximately 200,000 local police officers across the country.
  

Sources:
- Bennet Introduces Legislation Targeting Critical Reforms for ICE — bennet.senate.gov

2026-05-22

• Shoshone Water Rights statement: Issued a statement welcoming the Department of the Interior's release of $40 million for the Shoshone Permanency Project — bringing total secured funding to $97M of the $99M needed to preserve one of the Colorado River's oldest water rights. Bennet had co-led outreach with the Colorado delegation to unlock the funding.
  
• Arkansas Valley Conduit (AVC) Act passes Senate: The Bennet-Hickenlooper bill to complete the Arkansas Valley Conduit — a long-delayed water project that will deliver clean, reliable water to communities in Southeast Colorado — passed the Senate unanimously on May 22 and headed to the president's desk.
  
• "One Big Beautiful Bill" passes House: The House passed Trump's budget reconciliation megabill 215-214. Bennet has been a vocal opponent; all Colorado Democratic members voted no. The bill includes large cuts to Medicaid and SNAP and a $1.8B "wrongful conviction" fund that Hickenlooper is seeking to block from being used for Tina Peters.
  

Sources:
- Hickenlooper, Bennet Bill to Finish the Arkansas Valley Conduit Heads to President's Desk — hickenlooper.senate.gov
- Colorado Republicans vote for Trump's signature policy bill, Democrats cite its 'cruelty' — Colorado Newsline

2026-05-25

• Governor race polling — Bennet leads 53-22%: A survey of 600 likely primary voters (Global Strategy Group, Democratic firm) shows Bennet with a 31-point lead over Weiser, with 53% support to Weiser's 22%. Bennet holds a 74% favorable rating vs. 45% for Weiser. About a third of Colorado voters still have not heard of Weiser.
  
• Campaigns enter mudslinging phase: With ballots going out in early June, the Bennet and Weiser campaigns have intensified their attacks on each other. Weiser continues to hammer Bennet on Trump cabinet confirmations; Bennet's campaign is emphasizing name recognition and governing record. The June 30 primary is the effective end of the race given Colorado's partisan tilt.
  

Sources:
- Internal poll shows Bennet with wide lead over Weiser — Colorado Politics
- Weiser, Bennet campaigns intensify mudslinging — KOAA

2026-05-29

• Wildfire briefing deadline: Today is the deadline Bennet and Neguse set for USDA and the Department of the Interior to formally brief Congress on wildfire preparedness plans for the summer. The request, made on May 4, asked agencies to detail staffing levels for federal wildland firefighters, status of cooperative preparedness efforts with state/local/tribal governments, and the impact of hiring freezes on fire response capacity. 2026 has seen more than 22,000 fires burn 1.8 million acres — a 20-year high for this point in the year. No public response from USDA or DOI has been announced yet.
  
• Bucket 2E push ongoing: Bennet continues to press USBR to release an additional $92 million in remaining Inflation Reduction Act drought funds for Colorado River Basin projects; only six of the 17 originally announced projects have been fully funded.
  

Sources:
- Neguse, Bennet Press Trump Officials on Plans for Wildfire Response and Preparedness — neguse.house.gov
- Colorado lawmakers have 'deep concerns' about federal government's wildfire preparedness amid drought — PostIndependent.com
- Bennet, Hickenlooper Welcome Release of $47 Million in Federal Funding for Four Colorado Projects — bennet.senate.gov