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Michael F. Bennet

U.S. Senate · CO · Democrats · since 2023

also

Candidate for U.S. Senate · CO

Target Michael

Biography

Overview

Michael Bennet is a Democratic U.S. Senator from Colorado serving since 2009. Born in New Delhi, India, he earned a law degree from Yale Law School. Before his Senate appointment by Governor Bill Ritter to fill Ken Salazar's seat, Bennet served as superintendent of Denver Public Schools from 2005 to 2008, where he led efforts to improve graduation and college enrollment rates. He was previously chief of staff to Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper and worked in the Clinton administration as counsel to the Deputy Attorney General. Bennet is the son of Douglas J. Bennet, a former State Department official and NPR president.

Career

Bennet won his first Senate election in 2010, defeating Republican Ken Buck with 48.1% of the vote. He was reelected in 2016 with 50% and again in 2022 with 55.9%—his first majority victory. As superintendent of Denver Public Schools, he led initiatives that improved graduation rates and college enrollment. In the Senate, he has championed bipartisan immigration reform as a member of the 2013 Gang of Eight and supported the Affordable Care Act. He co-introduced "Medicare X" with Senator Tim Kaine as an alternative to Medicare for All. In 2024, he was among the first Democratic senators to publicly express concern about President Biden's path to electoral victory. On April 11, 2025, he announced a candidacy for Colorado Governor in 2026.

Prior political experience

Bennet was appointed to the Senate by Colorado Governor Bill Ritter on January 3, 2009, to fill the seat vacated by Ken Salazar. He was elected to a full term in 2010, defeating Republican Ken Buck with 851,590 votes (48.1%) to Buck's 822,731 (46.4%). The 2010 race was among the most expensive in the country, with candidates and outside groups spending approximately $45 million combined. Bennet was reelected in 2016 with 50% of the vote against Republican Darryl Glenn's 44%. In 2022, he won his third term with 55.9% of the vote against businessman Joe O'Dea's 41.3%—the first Senate election in which Bennet received a majority of the vote.

Biographical material adapted from the Wikipedia article (retrieved April 29, 2026), available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Ideology

Liberal–Conservative (DW-NOMINATE dim 1)

Liberal
Conservative
119th Congress-0.242

Secondary axis (DW-NOMINATE dim 2)(?)

−1
+1
-0.191
Source: Voteview DW-NOMINATE · 665 scored votes

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Officeholding history

TermSeatTerm datesTerminationPredecessorSuccessor
4thU.S. Senate CO Class 32023–presentIn progressMichael F. Bennet—
3rdU.S. Senate CO Class 32017–2023Term endedMichael F. BennetMichael F. Bennet
2ndU.S. Senate CO Class 32011–2017Term endedMichael F. BennetMichael F. Bennet
1stU.S. Senate CO Class 32009–2011Term ended—Michael F. Bennet

Committee assignments

Current term legislation

Bills sponsored this term10

Bills cosponsored this term10

Elections

YearSeatResultVote shareField
——Pending——