Rocky Mountain Voice

Tag: Michael Bennet

Colorado Lawmakers Split on Iran
Colorado Politics, Approved, State

Colorado Lawmakers Split on Iran

By Thelma Grimes | Colorado Politics Colorado’s congressional delegation split sharply along party lines Saturday after the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran, triggering a fresh debate in America over presidential war powers. Trump announced early Saturday morning that U.S and Israeli forces had begun “Operation Epic Fury” after multiple explosions were reported around Iran. Later in the day, the president said that Iran’s leader, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed. Iranian state media also confirmed Khamenei’s death. Both sides of the political aisle agree that Iran — one official called the country a “terrorist state” — should never be allowed to possess nuclear weapons. But Democrats and Republicans clashed over the latest operations, just ...
Bennet Signals Support for Suspending Colorado Wolf Reintroduction Program
Colorado Politics, Approved, State

Bennet Signals Support for Suspending Colorado Wolf Reintroduction Program

By Marianne Goodland | Colorado Politics U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, who is running for governor, told a newspaper this month that he favors suspending Colorado’s wolf reintroduction program, though he sounded less certain in another interview a few days later. “I think it’s right to suspend it for now and to try to see whether there’s any way to get back to a place where we’re implementing the original plan with fidelity,” he told the Durango Herald’s editorial board on Feb. 13. “But if we’re not able to implement with fidelity, then we shouldn’t continue.” Just three days later, Bennet appeared a little less certain in an interview with the Steamboat Pilot. “Asked about the reintroduction of wolves — one of the most contentious issues in Northwest C...
Colorado Ballot Push Aims To Redraw Maps And Diminish GOP Representation
Colorado Public Radio, Approved, State

Colorado Ballot Push Aims To Redraw Maps And Diminish GOP Representation

By Caitlyn Kim | CPR News The group Coloradans for a Level Playing Field wants to put an initiative on the 2026 ballot that would allow the state to draw new Congressional maps for 2028 and 2030. If voters approve, the state would join the redistricting tit-for-tat going on across the country after President Donald Trump urged Texas to redraw its congressional map to help Republicans retain control of the House in 2026. Several other Red and Blue states have followed or plan on following suit, such as Missouri, North Carolina, California and Virginia. “No one wanted to have to take this action,” said Curtis Hubbard, spokesperson for Coloradans for a Level Playing Field, adding independent commissions that make such decisions are ideal. “But with Donald Trump and his MA...
Weiser Gains Ground as Bennet Faces Transparency Test on Senate Appointment Choice
Complete Colorado, Commentary, State

Weiser Gains Ground as Bennet Faces Transparency Test on Senate Appointment Choice

By Jon Caldara | Commentary, Complete Colorado I suggest we get used to saying the words, “Governor Weiser.” The election for Colorado’s next governor does not take place in November. It’s in fewer than five months, on June 30. That’s the state’s primary election. Whoever wins the Democratic primary is the next governor (with all apologies to the seeming 328 Republicans running for the seat). So, out of a state of 6 million people, we must choose between an affable socialist and a tired Washington, DC liberal. Aren’t we the lucky ones. Yes, yes, Michael Bennet has all the name recognition and an independent expenditure cash tsunami (it’s good to be the senator). That’s not enough. There are a bunch of small factors tilting toward Attorney General Phil Weiser, bu...
Allegations of Improper Spending Mount Against Bennet Campaign
Colorado Politics, Approved, State

Allegations of Improper Spending Mount Against Bennet Campaign

By Marianne Goodland | Colorado Politics Three state campaign finance complaints have been filed against U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Denver, tied to his campaign for governor in 2026. A fourth is likely, sources have told Colorado Politics. The first two were filed on Sept. 24 and on Nov. 4 by Alyssa Holladay of Denver. Her political affiliation is unknown. The first two complaints were consolidated by the secretary of state’s elections division on Nov. 17. A response is due from the Bennet campaign on Dec. 3. The September complaint said Bennet is a candidate for both governor in 2026 and for the U.S. Senate in 2028 and he is actively fundraising and spending money for both races. Bennet, the complaint noted, filed a candidate affidavit for the Senate race on March 11, 2...
Campaign-finance storm erupts as Weiser, Bennet and Griswold face 3,674 alleged violations
Colorado Based News, Approved, State, Substack

Campaign-finance storm erupts as Weiser, Bennet and Griswold face 3,674 alleged violations

Media Contact: Ethan Augreen | Colorado Based News New Campaign-Finance Complaints Target Michael Bennet, Phil Weiser After Similar Complaint Against Jena Griswold Upheld by Attorney General’s Office DENVER, CO — November 20, 2025 — Colorado’s 2026 election landscape was shaken today as two major new campaign-finance complaints were filed against gubernatorial candidates Philip Weiser and Michael Bennet, bringing the statewide total to 3,674 alleged violations by three of the Colorado Democratic Party’s most prominent candidates. “No Colorado citizen has ever filed an evidence-based campaign finance action this large, covering this many statewide candidates, with this volume of documented violations. This is unprecedented in scale,” said Ethan Au...
The cost of obedience: How Colorado’s senators strengthened economic malfeasance
Rocky Mountain Voice, Commentary, State, Top Stories

The cost of obedience: How Colorado’s senators strengthened economic malfeasance

By Mike O’Donnell | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice It is both sad and disappointing that Colorado’s two U.S. senators are incapable of independent thought. As the simple puppets of their overlords, they have selfishly voted fifteen times NOT to reopen the federal government—even though their “no” votes hurt the Coloradans they supposedly represent.  Colorado was already struggling economically before the federal shutdown.  Between January 2023, the start of the post-COVID economy in the U.S., and August 2025, job creation in Colorado had been growing at less than half the national rate and unemployment was growing at around twice the national rate.  How state unemployment changed since January 2023: Colorado up 58.5% vs U.S. 28.5%. How ...
Colorado Leaders Urge Action as SNAP Deadline Nears and Health Enrollment Begins
kdvr.com, Approved, State

Colorado Leaders Urge Action as SNAP Deadline Nears and Health Enrollment Begins

By: Gabrielle Franklin | KDVR FOX31 DENVER (KDVR) — Open enrollment season kicks off in just a couple of days. SNAP benefits are set to run out at the same time on Nov. 1. Some leaders on Capitol Hill say Americans should prepare to be sticker-shocked by an increase in premiums. This is all coming with no deal on healthcare subsidies as Congress remains shut down. Open enrollment begins with no deal on healthcare We heard from both Democrats and Republicans representing Coloradans on Capitol Hill.They have different thoughts about how we got to this point and what could happen next. “This is going to impact everybody, even if you are on an employer-sponsored healthcare. That’s why we need to fix this,” said Congressman Jason Crow, a Democrat representing the state’s 6th ...
Colorado Republicans Slam Bennet, Hickenlooper Over Prolonged Shutdown
CBS Colorado, Approved, State

Colorado Republicans Slam Bennet, Hickenlooper Over Prolonged Shutdown

By Shaun Boyd | CBS Colorado As the government shutdown stretches into another week, federal funding for food assistance is set to run out in just over a week. Friday was supposed to be the payday for many federal employees who have been furloughed for a month. Instead, some employees got a paystub showing zero dollars. Colorado's Republican members of the United States Congress are growing increasingly frustrated with the refusal of Democratic members to pass a funding bill. U.S. Reps. Lauren Boebert, Jeff Crank, Gabe Evans and Jeff Hurd fired off a letter to U.S. Sens. Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper and warned Coloradans are suffering because of the shutdown. Fifty-five thousand federal employees are facing financial hardship, and more than 600,000 Colorada...
Colorado Democrats Push DOE to Restore $600M in Cancelled Energy Grants
Just The News, Approved, State

Colorado Democrats Push DOE to Restore $600M in Cancelled Energy Grants

By: Elyse Apel | Just The News Colorado Democrats, including U.S. Sens. Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper, joined together to sign a letter calling for the U.S. Department of Energy to restore over $600 million in funding for 38 Colorado-affiliated energy projects. Colorado Democrats joined together to sign a letter calling for the U.S. Department of Energy to restore over $600 million in funding for 38 Colorado-affiliated energy projects. In the letter, Colorado's U.S. Sens. Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper, and Colorado U.S. Reps. Joe Neguse, Diana DeGette, Jason Crow and Brittany Pettersen argue the cuts are harmful to the state. “By cancelling over $600 million in energy-sector funding, much of which directly supported grid reliability, DOE is making it more di...