Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser defeated incumbent U.S. Senator Michael Bennet in the Democratic gubernatorial primary on Tuesday.
Driven by intense anti-establishment voter frustration, the result makes Weiser the heavy favorite for November. Colorado has not elected a Republican governor since 2002. Major outlets officially called the race by Wednesday morning.
Weiser secured the nomination despite a steep financial disadvantage. Bennet and his allied super PAC, Rocky Mountain Way, spent $10.7 million on advertisements—nearly double the ad spending of Weiser’s campaign and his allied PACs. Bennet also loaned his own campaign nearly $1 million in the closing weeks. The loss marks a historic shift, as Bennet is the first sitting U.S. senator to lose a primary for governor since Texas Republican Kay Bailey Hutchison fell to Rick Perry in 2010, according to primary records.
Weiser gained late momentum by arguing he had an aggressive track record of confronting the Trump administration during his first term. Bennet drew progressive criticism for recent bipartisan moves. That included his explicit vote to confirm Trump’s Energy Secretary Chris Wright.
The anti-incumbent wave impacted other major Colorado Democrats Tuesday night. Representative Diana DeGette, a nearly 30-year incumbent, was ousted by 29-year-old democratic socialist Melat Kiros. Senator John Hickenlooper managed to survive his progressive primary challenge from state Senator Julie Gonzales.