Phil Weiser
How does your experience make you qualified to represent the people?
For the past 8 years as Colorado’s attorney general, I’ve run our state’s Department of Law, a 700-person agency with a $100 million budget. In this role, I represent and work closely with nearly every Colorado state agency and pushed over 60 bills at the legislature to improve our laws. I’m deeply familiar with the levers of power in state government and how to use them for the good of the people—which will allow me to deliver results beginning on day 1. As attorney general, I don’t just make speeches—I get things done. I’ve helped to stop a grocery store merger that would have raised grocery prices for Coloradans and cost jobs, successfully sued the Trump administration 66 times and counting and protected over $1.2 billion this administration tried to illegally withhold from us, brought back nearly $1 billion to Colorado to address the devastating opioid crisis by taking on Big Pharma, and secured over $550 million for Coloradans who were taken advantage of by irresponsible companies.
I know our state government inside and out—top to bottom. I’m ready to lead on day 1.
What are your top policy priorities?
My top priorities—in my first year and beyond—will be fighting back against the Trump administration and ensuring the next generation can afford to live in Colorado and has the opportunity to thrive here.
Right now, the federal government is attacking the rule of the law, slashing funding for critical programs, and rolling back civil rights. As Colorado’s attorney general, I’ve sued the Trump administration 66 times—and we’re winning again and again. As governor, I’ll keep fighting to protect Colorado against this lawless, bullying administration.
Colorado also faces skyrocketing housing costs that are pushing teachers further away from the communities where they work, our health care system is broken, and our economy is leaving too many behind—especially the next generation. As governor, I'll build more housing Coloradans can afford, launch “Primary Care for All” to fix our broken health care system, and make it easier to start a business here. I’ve done this work as attorney general—taking on out-of-state corporate landlords, fighting mega-mergers that will jack up prices people pay, and holding Big Pharma accountable.
I’ll measure success by how many young people chose to stay in Colorado, buy a home, and can afford a life here—and whether teachers can afford to live in the communities where they work.
What is one issue you think is being overlooked in this race, and how would you address it?
The Supreme Court’s ruling on Citizens United has been toxic to American politics. Big corporations and dark money are corrupting our elections and eroding confidence in government. As a result, far too many politicians focus on the needs of the wealthy few and powerful companies—not those of the people who voted for them.
Since the beginning of this race, Michael Bennet’s super PAC has been bankrolled by out-of-state billionaires, dark money, special interests, and big corporations like Cigna and Uber. At the 11th hour of this race, out-of-state billionaires are putting millions of dollars into Bennet’s super PAC to try to stop my campaign’s surging momentum through cynical attack ads.
As governor, I will address the devastating Citizens United court ruling by taking action here in Colorado—and it can be done by amending our laws to make it explicit that corporations are not human beings, and, therefore, do not possess the rights of human beings to donate to political campaigns.
Colorado’s law listing out corporate powers granted by the General Assembly sets out a range of powers corporations wield—like the ability to sue and be sued, to lend money, and so on. It also provides corporations “the same powers as an individual.” Colorado can and must change this law through the Legislature and get corporate money out of our politics.
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