Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser launches 2026 campaign for governor

Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser launched a 2026 campaign for governor Thursday, becoming the first major Democratic candidate to jump into what is expected to be a crowded contest to replace Gov. Jared Polis.

“There are many reasons why I am running to lead this state I love, but the biggest reason is simple: I am committed to fighting for the people of Colorado,” Weiser said in a written statement.

Weiser was first elected as Attorney General in 2018 and was then re-elected in 2022. His term ends in early 2027. During his tenure, Weiser has taken the Trump administration to court, focused on consumer protection issues and fought to secure settlement dollars from opioid manufacturers and distributors.

Before entering politics, Weiser was dean of the University of Colorado Law School.

Polis is term-limited and cannot stand for re-election in 2026.

Other potential Democratic candidates for governor in 2026 include Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold; US Rep. Joe Neguse; US Rep. Jason Crowe; and Ken Salazar, US Ambassador to Mexico.

The 2026 Democratic primary for Colorado governor won’t be held until June 2026. Weiser’s early entry into the race 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 likely to cast ballots in the 2026 Democratic gubernatorial primary in Colorado found Neguse in the lead with 20% of the vote.

He was followed by Griswold with 16%; Salazar at 11%; Weiser at 8%; “second candidate” at 8%; and 37% were undecided. Crow was not an option in the vote.

The survey was conducted on behalf of the nonprofit organization Healthier Colorado from April 4-9. December. It had a margin of error of 3.9%.

Polis won re-election in 2022 with almost 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 they are running in the race.

This is a developing story that will be updated.