Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser on Thursday launched a 2026 campaign for governor, becoming the first major Democratic candidate to jump into what’s expected to be a crowded contest to replace Gov. Jared Polis.
“There are many reasons why I’m running to lead this state I love, but the biggest reason is simple: I’m committed to fighting for the people of Colorado,” Weiser said in a written statement.
Weiser was first elected attorney general in 2018 and then was reelected in 2022. His term ends in early 2027. During his tenure, Weiser has taken on the Trump administration in court, focused on consumer protection issues and battled to secure settlement dollars from opioid manufacturers and distributors.
In an interview with The Sun on Thursday, Weiser said as governor he would work to drive down the cost of living, make Colorado safer, protect the environment and improve youth mental health.
“There’s a lot of important work to do,” he said.
Before entering politics, Weiser was dean of the University of Colorado law school.
Polis is term-limited and can’t run for reelection in 2026.
Other potential Democratic candidates for governor in 2026 include Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold; U.S. Rep. Joe Neguse; U.S. Rep. Jason Crow; and Ken Salazar, the U.S. ambassador to Mexico.
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The Democratic primary for the 2026 gubernatorial race in Colorado won’t be held until June 2026. Weiser’s early entrance into the contest gives him a leg up on fundraising, but it also means he’ll have to start spending money to run his campaign.
A Magellan Strategies poll of 630 registered Democratic and unaffiliated voters who are likely to cast ballots in the 2026 Democratic gubernatorial primary in Colorado found that Neguse was in the lead, with 20% of the vote share.
He was followed by Griswold at 16%; Salazar at 11%; Weiser at 8%; “another candidate” at 8%; and 37% were undecided. Crow wasn’t an option in the poll.
The survey was conducted on behalf of the nonprofit Healthier Colorado from Dec. 4-9. It had a 3.9% margin of error.
Weiser said he welcomes a crowded primary.
“I expect that I will be friends with many people who might be running, and that’s OK,” he said. “I’ve been through a primary before. My view is primaries can help us be the best candidates we can be.”
Former Gov. Roy Romer is chair of Weiser’s campaign. Former U.S. Rep. Ed Perlmutter and Fort Collins Mayor Jeni Arndt are among the campaign’s cochairs.
Polis won reelection in 2022 by nearly 20 percentage points. He won in 2018 by 10 points.
Whoever wins the Democratic primary is expected to cruise to victory in November 2026. No major Republican candidates have announced that they running in the race.