Michael Bloomberg has contributed $2.5 million to a super PAC supporting Michael Bennet’s run for Colorado governor. The move sparked outrage among Democratic voters in Colorado, as many consider Bennet a less-than-ideal pick for the role.
Reports indicate that the donation from Bloomberg alone is more than what any individual Republican candidate has managed to raise so far. Bennet’s main opponent in the primaries is Attorney General Phil Weiser, who has also spent heavily on his campaign.
Whoever wins the primaries will face a Republican. Most likely candidates include Marine veteran Victor Marx, State Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer of Brighton, or State Rep. Scott Bottoms of Colorado Springs.
Colorado Residents React to Bloomberg Supporting Bennet
Colorado residents took to Reddit’s r/Colorado to complain about how much Bloomberg is spending on the gubernatorial race. One user said, “Bennet and Bloomberg are a pairing I’m not a fan of. Bennet will come to every donor demand, even when it directly hurts this state and its constituents.” Another criticized how the system works, claiming that “failure to overhaul campaign financing is at the root of nearly all our problems.”
Multiple Democratic voters were not eager to vote for Bennet. One user described him as “just another status quo Democrat who follows the party and has no real agenda, just like the Democratic Party. In my opinion, a vote for Bennet is a vote for more of the same old same old leadership – and we are out of time and patience for that.”
Similar sentiments were expressed by other voters: “Can we PLEASE not vote in some centrist establishment democrat who isn’t going to do a damn thing? We have the opportunity to really make some noise here in Colorado. Bennet/Bloomberg is just so boring and corporate.”
At least on this specific Reddit thread, it appeared that Weiser had more support from locals. According to one user, “Weiser is miles better than Bennet. He’s an actual practicing attorney who stands up to Trump and corporations — and has a great anti-trust track record.”
It remains to be seen which candidate will win the Democratic primaries, but it is clear that if Bennet wins, some Democratic voters will not be pleased with his candidacy.
