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Why I Endorse Phil Weiser in the Democratic Primary
Weiser is best positioned to take on Trump.
by Ari Armstrong, Copyright © 2025
National politics should not matter in races for governor. But Donald Trump and his stooges, with the support of decades of Congressional ineptitude and malfeasance, have made them matter. Indeed, they are now what matter most to the well-being of Coloradans, which indicates how far we've strayed from the Founder's conception of federalism.
Between Phil Weiser and Michael Bennet, Weiser, now Colorado's Attorney General, clearly is the far better candidate for governor in terms of who is best positioned to challenge Trump's overreaches. As of early August, Weiser as AG had sued Trump 37 times, notes the Colorado Sun.
This is not about whether I agree with all of Weiser's lawsuits. I don't. For example, Weiser's suit over gun trigger regulations involving a New Jersey case seems completely inappropriate for the Colorado AG. (This is a matter of Congressional action.) This is about Weiser's ability and inclination to stand up for Coloradans in the courts and in the court of public opinion in the face of improper federal interference. That is why I plan to vote for Weiser in the primary and urge others to do likewise.
This is a hard pill for me to swallow. In terms of state policy, I think Weiser will be a disaster. I doubt Weiser could name a single realistic business regulation or tax-hike proposal that he'd oppose. Jared Polis almost always pretended he couldn't find his veto pen in the face of legislative insanity, but at least once in a while Polis would bring to bear his anemic libertarian side. I have no doubt that Weiser will enthusiastically sign every damned bill the legislature puts forth expanding the power of state politicians and bureaucrats.
In my perfect world, Phil Weiser never would be governor of Colorado; but, then again, Donald Trump never would be president of the United States. We are where we are. And we face the choices we face. So I will vote for Weiser and try not to crack my molars in the process.
In case you needed another reason to vote for Weiser, that meddling statist Michael Bloomberg recently gave $500,000 to a PAC backing Bennet, the Sun reports. (Bloomberg also contributed big money to the nanny-statist Denver effort to ban flavored tobacco.)
What tipped me over the edge was Weiser's October 11 article, "A Republic, As Long As We Can Keep It." He starts off by quoting Reagan: "Freedom is a fragile thing and it’s never more than one generation away from extinction." Okay, you had me at "freedom."
Weiser writes:
Our founders fought for independence from a king, recognized the risks of a standing army that operated as an occupying force in our communities, were committed to a system where laws were administered fairly and equally, and safeguarded our freedom of speech. . . .
At this perilous moment, we are witnessing historic attacks on our fundamental freedoms. These attacks—on law enforcement in blue states; on the rule of law that requires prosecutions be based on the law and the evidence, not used as a tool to harass opponents (or reward allies); and on the freedom of speech (by television networks and others)—are lawless, dangerous, and reckless. We cannot be silenced or bow down to the Trump administration in the face of such intimidation. Rather, when dealing with a lawless bully, the only response is to stand strong for your principles and fight like hell for what you believe in.
Yes, yes, yes. This is exactly what we need right now in a state leader.
Meanwhile, who is Bennet, and what does he stand for? Since Bennet joined the Senate in 2009, the term that has come most readily to my mind is "empty suit." (Okay, there's the child tax credit. Chat offers a policy comparison.)
I think Bennet might push back slightly more on bad bills, but maybe not. The same PAC that, shamefully, accepted a check from that meddling statist Bloomberg also took money from a charter-school group, so maybe there's some reason to think Bennet would be slightly less horrible on school choice. But, again, these are not the things that most matter right now. Right now what we most need is someone who will fight like hell against federal overreach.
Phil Weiser is that person.
(By the way, both Weiser and Bennet are welcome to send me their replies, say up to 1500 words, and I'll publish them below if I receive them.)
What About Kirkmeyer?
Just because I endorse Weiser in the primary, does that mean I'll endorse him in the general? Bluntly, it doesn't matter. The Democrat almost certainly will win.
Barb Kirkmeyer recently bragged that she'd "raised almost as much money as every other Republican candidate in the race combined to date." Okay, but the same tally shows she raised only a small fraction of what either Bennet or Weiser has raised.
Kirkmeyer is a relatively sane and responsible Republican politician (a rare animal in Colorado politics these days). I have no doubt that she would veto a lot of bills that I'd oppose, and in that respect she'd be a governor far more to my liking.
At the same time, Kirkmeyer once endorsed the anti-abortion "personhood" measure, which by itself means she cannot win a statewide race in Colorado.
The only race that matters here is the Democratic primary. And, again, for that I support Weiser.