Phil Weiser

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Phil Weiser earned a bachelor's degree from Swarthmore College and a law degree from New York University School of Law. Weiser's professional experience includes working for Judge David Ebel on the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals, working as a law clerk at the United States Supreme Court for Justices Byron White and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, serving in President Clinton's Department of Justice Antitrust Division, and teaching as a professor at the University of Colorado Law School. While working as a professor, Weiser founded the Silicon Flatirons Center for Law, Technology, and Entrepreneurship, litigated civil rights cases, co-chaired Governor Bill Ritter’s (D) Innovation Council, and served as dean of the law school from 2011 to 2016. Weiser also served in the Obama administration as a deputy assistant attorney general in the U.S. Department of Justice as well as in the White House as senior advisor for technology and innovation at the National Economic Council.[1]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I believe our government should work for the people, not corporations or special interests. As Attorney General, I have stood up to protect the rule of law and our democracy and led the charge against irresponsible companies that ripped off Coloradans. I work every day to make our state safer and more affordable. And as our next governor, I’ll continue to build on the progress that makes Colorado such a great place to live.

As the son and grandson of Holocaust survivors, I have lived an only-in-America story–a first generation American working for Ruth Bader Ginsburg at the U.S. Supreme Court, President Obama in the White House, and serving as your Attorney General. It would be an honor to serve as your next governor.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

As the Trump administration continues to abuse federal agencies for political retaliation, withhold critical federal dollars to coerce states to adopt their policies, illegally fire critical federal workers, unlawfully punish our state for our voting laws, or send federal troops into American cities, we need a governor who will stand strong against this lawless bullying. I’ve led that fight as your attorney general by filing more than 60 lawsuits and winning, and I will continue it as your next governor. I will do everything in my power to maintain our way of life, our economy, the protections of air, land, and water, and the constitutionally guaranteed promises of a free and robust democracy.But fighting back is just part of what our next governor must do—I am running to drive Colorado forward and address the challenges facing our state. We must build a state where we all can live and our children envision a future. Colorado has big challenges: housing costs that price out teachers, first responders, and longtime Coloradans; healthcare expenses that burden families; and an economy that works great for some but leaves too many behind. As governor, I'll focus on making Colorado more affordable—helping people afford to buy or rent a home, access healthcare, and buy groceries. That's why I've already taken on corporate landlords, fought mega-mergers that drive up prices, and sued prescription drug manufacturers for price fixing.We also must build on Colorado’s economic climate to ensure that small businesses and entrepreneurs can thrive (while also having zero tolerance for wage theft, treating workers unfairly, and ripping off customers). As governor, I will be a champion for Colorado businesses and their employees, elevate critical and competitive sectors, work to simplify state government to make it easier to do business here, and invest in key assets—our workforce, housing, childcare, healthcare, infrastructure, and improving government performance.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Youth mental health is a top priority of mine and is an issue I am very passionate about. I will champion initiatives that provide mentorship for young Coloradans, address the harms of social media and cell phones, use Colorado’s great outdoors to support youth mental health and resiliency, and increase access to mental healthcare for young people. Building on the work I've done as AG, including leading a 35-state lawsuit against Meta for creating an addictive platform that harms our youth, I will sign legislation to clamp down on social media companies that fail to protect kids from illegal activities,

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

Billy Adams was Colorado’s governor in the 1920s from the San Luis Valley. At the time, the Ku Klux Klan controlled everything in Colorado—and Billy Adams built the anti-Klan caucus to stop them. In response, the Klan said they were going to defund what was then called “Normal School,” which is now called Adams State University—named after Billy Adams.

Billy Adams went to his community and said they had to pull together to keep “Normal School” alive and not give into the Klan—and that's what they did. Billy Adams then ran for governor on an anti-Klan platform, fighting for what was right. He won, and he got the Klan out of Colorado.

The Billy Adams story is one for our time. As governor, I’ll do what Billy Adams did: I’ll lead with hope, fight for a better future, and bring people together to solve problems. That's why I'm in this work.

I am not running to be governor backed by out-of-state billionaires and big corporations. I'm backed by the people—and I believe that politics is about people.

That’s what Billy Adams did—and that’s what I’ll do as your next governor.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

To be effective leaders for the state, Colorado’s elected officials must be ready to fight for their constituents and have the courage to stand up to those that seek to harm people. That’s why as AG, I’ve gone after bad actors who harmed Coloradans, such as corporate landlords that took advantage of renters by illegally colluding and using false advertising to lock tenants into mandatory junk fees. I also stood up to the illegal and harmful actions of the Trump Administration by bringing over 60 lawsuits when it acted illegally and harmed our state.

In addition, as AG, I developed close relationships with communities and organizations across the state, and I will continue to prioritize and foster those relationships as governor. Community engagement has always been essential to my approach as AG, and I regularly travel across all 64 counties in the state to ensure that I am working for and hearing from all Coloradans.­­ I will always consult with and hear from impacted communities and stakeholders as part of developing policies for the state. As part of this priority, I will also ensure that state boards and commissions hold meetings and hear public input beyond the Denver metro area, in regions throughout the state so that they are accessible to all communities and not just those who live within a short drive of the State Capitol.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

Our governor must be a leader and a champion for all Coloradans. From fighting back against the lawless actions of the Trump Administration and its revenge campaign on Colorado to tackling the affordability crisis head on, our state’s top executive must be ready to think innovatively and proactively to make the state a better place to live. The governor should be deeply involved in Colorado's budget process, especially given our structural challenges with the Colorado Taxpayer Bill of Rights. It’s unacceptable that obscure formulas approved decades ago and locked into our constitution make it impossible to fully fund schools and infrastructure even in good economic times, while we're forced to give windfalls to the wealthiest taxpayers. In fact, a majority of Colorado’s public school systems run on 4-day weeks. That’s unacceptable. The governor must lead on fixing these outdated provisions so our budget can work for all.

What legacy would you like to leave?

In 2076, I want Coloradans to look back at this moment and my tenure as governor and say: In the face of historic intimidation from a lawless, bullying president, Colorado stood strong, fought for what was right, and defended the rights and freedoms of Colorado and our people—all while investing in our kids’ future and building a brighter future for the next generation.

Colorado is at a crossroads—but we’ve been here before. In the late 1980s, Colorado was struggling to keep young people and businesses from fleeing the state and wasn’t building a brighter future for the next generation—but we turned the ship around by making the right policy decisions. Thanks to the leadership of former Gov. Roy Romer and former Denver Mayor Federico Peña—both of whom have endorsed me in this race—Colorado brought people together to move our state forward and invest in our kids' future.

Colorado faces a similar challenge today—and I’m ready to lead.

Governors have many responsibilities, which vary from state to state. Which of those do you personally consider the most important in your state?

The state budget has grown significantly in recent years—both in size and complexity. This growth was also driven by major one-time funding from the federal government. But those one-time resources are now gone, and the reckless OBBBA/H.R. 1 enacted by Congress means that Colorado had to fill a billion dollar budget hole—and is slated for more drastic cuts in fiscal years to come. When doing the hard work to balance this challenging budget, I will do so with the principle that K-12 education and healthcare are protected at all costs. Rather, any budget reductions should be made with a clear priority of protecting these two most critical and essential government responsibilities.

As governor, I will stand by this principle and make it clear that whenever the budget will not balance, K-12 education and healthcare should always be our top spending priorities–and we should protect investments that promote a brighter future. This includes protecting Medicaid funding, maintaining reimbursement rates, and ensuring that Medicaid and Child Health Plan Plus recipients continue to receive coverage for care.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

I have secured more than 200 endorsements, earning the support of more current and former state and local elected officials than any other candidate. I’m also proud to have the endorsements of four sitting governors: MA Gov. Maura Healey, WA Gov. Bob Ferguson, NC Gov. Josh Stein, and PA Gov. Josh Shapiro. And my campaign is chaired by former CO Gov. Roy Romer. I have been endorsed by many grassroots organizations, including Indivisible CO, Greater Metro Denver Ministerial Alliance, Rocky Mountain Equality Action Fund, Nurses for America, Pro Animal Colorado, Colorado Muslim Vote, the Colorado Organization for Latina Opportunity and Reproductive Rights, El Semanario, Colorado Ceasefire PAC, Fight Corporate Monopolies, Teamsters 455, and UFCW

Campaign websiteWeiser's campaign website stated the following:Affordable Homes and CommunitiesAll Coloradans deserve a safe, affordable place to call home. Yet too many families are forced to choose between housing and essentials like childcare or healthcare. As governor, I will:Boost homes Coloradans can afford, increasing attainable owner-occupied homes by 40,000, closing the current gap on the shortfall on such homes by 50%.Speed up permitting and partner with local governments to lower fees for affordable homes available for sale under $600,000.Cut red tape to streamline state processes.Expand down payment assistance to support first-time homebuyers—especially essential workers like teachers, nurses, and first responders.Protect renters from unfair practices and keep affordable units available.Ensure that out-of-state corporate investors don’t mistreat Colorado families.Ban algorithmic price collusion by corporate landlords.Promote innovation & skilled trades: modular housing, apprenticeships, and workforce training.Early ChildhoodWe must safeguard kids’ early childhood health, well-being, and care. As governor, I will:Preserve funding for prenatal and early childhood programs that work in Colorado.Coordinate the state’s strategy for early childhood mental health, aligning initiatives and resources across agencies and external partnersIntegrate funding and services to make childcare easier for families to afford and access.Launch a Childcare Solutions Fund to invest in local childcare solutionsStreamline permitting and regulatory processes statewide to build a model that keeps kids safe and simplifies processes for providers to deliver care.EducationEvery student in Colorado deserves a world-class education. As governor, I will:Support teachers with livable wages so they don’t need multiple jobs to live where they work.Promote down payment assistance so teachers can afford to live where they teach.Stand strong for public schools and against privatizing or profiting off of our public schools.Lower the cost of college so students don’t face crushing debt.Support and work to expand Universal Preschool to give kids a strong start and save parents money.Energy and Climate A safe, affordable, and reliable energy supply is essential for Colorado’s future. As Washington undermines protections, Colorado must lead the way. As governor, I will: Meet Colorado’s emission reduction goals to do our part in fighting climate changeSupport solar & wind projects statewide, partnering with local governments.Expand battery storage adoption for safe energy storage.Establish a Geothermal Development Authority to leverage statewide activities.Lower winter costs for families with a dedicated rate class for residential heat pumps.Promote a just transition, retraining workers for geothermal drilling and other clean energy jobs.Protect EV purchase incentives and expand charging infrastructure in new builds.Healthcare Every Coloradan should have quality health care they can afford. Yet costs keep rising, and access is out of reach for too many. As governor, I will:Launch a Health Care Stabilization & Innovation Task Force to protect communities from federal cuts now, and develop paths to longer term advances in cost and quality.Use technology wisely to improve care and access, ensuring guardrails to protect patients.Rebuild Colorado’s health workforce through stronger training programs and ColoradoCorps.Address stigma and increase support for mental and behavioral health. Build state public health capacity to fill voids in federal leadership as it walks away from vaccines and proven modern medicine.Ensure patients are treated fairly—stop drug price collusion, preserve cap on lifesaving medications like insulin, and protect families from medical debt collectors.Jobs and the Economy It’s time to reinvigorate Colorado’s economy and create good-paying jobs across our state. As governor, partnering with business and labor, I will:Bring businesses and workers together to solve challenges to our competitiveness.Fuel innovation and growth in our key sectors from small business to tech to agriculture. Expand access to capital, with small business grants and microloans.Appoint a Chief Innovation Officer to bring new ideas and efficiencies into state government–and ensure that state government does not cause unnecessary delays in starting new businesses.Cut unnecessary red tape while preserving safety with a full review of outdated regulations.Grow economic hubs from Denver to rural towns ready for new investment.Launch a Business Navigator to guide entrepreneurs through starting and scaling a business.Invest in the essentials—infrastructure, education and workforce training, public safety, and protecting our land, air, and water.Livable Communities & TransportationColoradans deserve communities where it’s easy to get around, safe to raise kids, and healthy to live. As governor, I will: Fix our roads so Coloradans spend less on car repairs.Cut congestion to save time and reduce harmful emissions.Expand public transit, biking, & walkability so people have reliable options across the state.Invest in safe streets so kids can walk or bike to school safely.Address airport health and quality-of-life impacts on nearby neighborhoods and schools.Commit to environmental justice for families living near heavy traffic corridors.Partner with local governments to support community development goals.Our Land, Air, and WaterColorado’s land, air, and water are what make our state so special. But threats from Washington and rising environmental challenges mean we must step up and protect them.Expand CDPHE’s resources to monitor air and water quality and take appropriate enforcement actions.Fill the void left by federal agencies by restoring protections the EPA has abandoned.Fight back against federal land sell-offs—our public lands belong to all of us.Appoint a Chief Resilience Officer to enhance resilience to climate change across the state—from wildfires, storms and costs, to energy grid impacts.Support wildfire prevention with local & tribal partners from clearing beetle-kill trees to lowering insurance costs for homeowners who mitigate risk.Equip wildland firefighters with the protective gear and technology they need.Champion Colorado’s outdoor economy—support recreation, hiking, rafting, hunting, fishing, and make it easier to start outdoor businesses.Our Rights and FreedomsAs Attorney General, I have stood up to the Trump Administration every time it has acted unlawfully and harmed Coloradans. As governor, I will:Protect federal funding—fight back when Washington illegally withholds money meant for public safety, research, and community needs.Stand up for democracy—defend Colorado’s gold-standard voting laws against political power plays and retaliation by the White House.Fight illegal and dangerous actions to federalize the Colorado National Guard or send the military into Colorado.Defend reproductive rights—including Amendment 79 and against any attacks on our laws protecting the right to choose.Protect LGBTQ+ Coloradans—defend access to gender-affirming care, enforce civil rights protections, and confront rising hate.Guard our public lands—stop any federal effort to sell them off to the highest bidder.Provide critical climate actions and protections of our land, air, and water as the federal government abandons its role in this crucial area.Enforce state laws to prevent the federal government from coercing state and local law enforcement to conduct immigration enforcement activities and that bar sales of government facilities for ICE detention centers.Public SafetyEvery Coloradan deserves to feel safe in their homes, schools, communities, and places of worship. As governor, I will:Support recruitment and investment in police and sheriffs—we need to fund law enforcement, expand and modernize law enforcement training, and support mental health resources for officers and all first responders.Sign, support, and defend responsible gun safety laws—that will save lives and protect children.Strengthen the Office of Gun Violence Prevention to expand outreach and prevention and promote gun safety.Invest in co-responders—so addiction and mental health crises are met with compassion and treatment, and law enforcement officers are freed up for incidents that threaten public safety.Ensure that access to bail and justice is based on public safety risks, not how much money you have. Keep tackling the opioid and addiction crisis—advancing prevention, treatment, and life-saving harm reduction like naloxone access as well as ensuring accountability for trafficking.Establish a Governor’s Office of Safe Communities, driving data-driven policies and advancing crime science solutions.Invest in youth interventions to prevent crimes and the school-to-prison pipeline.Reimagining State GovernmentGovernment should be a partner, not a burden. As governor, I’ll make Colorado’s government more responsive, collaborative, and innovative. I will:Ensure citizens get timely responses when they reach out to government agencies.Use technology to improve response times, find efficiencies, and cut costs.Lead a statewide conversation on updating constitutional restrictions that hold us back from investing in our state and people.Partner with the Ute Mountain Ute and Southern Ute Tribes, respecting their sovereignty and working hand-in-hand with them as partners.Work hand-in-hand with towns, cities, counties, and special districts as partners with collaboration at front of mind in our work together.Support smaller local governments with fewer resources in accessing federal funding.Rural DevelopmentToo many in rural Colorado feel unheard and undervalued at the State Capitol. As governor, I will: Guarantee rural voices meaningful input in policy development.Reject one-size-fits-all plans—regulations must work for all, not just the Front Range.Appoint a Director of Rural Affairs giving rural Colorado a cabinet-level go-to resource.Develop a rural economic plan to attract and grow businesses to every part of our state.Finish full broadband buildout so every home and business has reliable Internet.Develop and support innovations to address food deserts due to grocery store closures.Safeguarding Our WaterWater is Colorado’s most precious natural resource, relied on for agriculture, outdoor recreation, and our future growth. As governor, I will:Build trust and collaboration across water users to find solutions that work best for our state.Keep standing up for Colorado’s water rights as part of Interstate Compacts.Fund the Colorado Water Plan.Stop buy-and-dry schemes that take water from rural communities for speculators’ profits.Innovate to encourage conservation, through reuse programs, voluntary crop shifts, lessening of irrigation needs, and smart storage programs.Workforce DevelopmentA good job and living wage are key to a good life. Yet our unemployment rate is too high, and many need more training. As governor, I will:Champion a Colorado Earn-and-Learn Promise to expand pathways into good-paying jobs, including apprenticeships and other work-based learning opportunities.Launch ColoradoCorps—a service program for careers in education, law enforcement, nursing, counseling, and fire fighting.Scale the Pay-It-Forward Fund to provide zero-interest loans and living stipends for training programs that deliver opportunities.Empower students with work-based learning, credentials, or college credit before graduation.Youth Mental HealthEvery kid should be supported for a successful future. As governor, I will: Support youth mental health with a statewide mentorship program.Increase access to in school mental health professionals and services.Sign legislation holding social media companies accountable for the harms they cause kids.Get kids outside and off their phones so they can learn about what our public spaces have to offer, from health benefits to career opportunities.— Phil Weiser's campaign website (April 12, 2026)Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I have dedicated my career to public service and protecting the rule of law. Before being elected Attorney General, I clerked for Justices White and Ginsburg on the Supreme Court, served as an antitrust and consumer protection lawyer for the U.S. Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division, served as a technology policy advisor for the White House, and was an educator training future attorneys as dean of the University of Colorado Law School. I am committed to serving as an Attorney General who is the People’s Lawyer, meaning that I work to protect Colorado citizens from those who violate their rights, improve public safety and our criminal justice system, and protect our land, air, and water.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

As Attorney General, I’ve gone to court time and again to defend your right to affordable health care, legal and safe abortion care, equal rights, voting rights, and fair treatment as workers, housing tenants, and consumers. I’ve successfully protected the health care of 700,000 Coloradans with preexisting conditions and 400,000 Coloradans on Medicaid by defending the Affordable Care Act. I have defended abortion rights by joining a lawsuit to halt the Texas abortion law, challenging the constitutionality of the “Gag Rule,” and arguing against rules that would have reduced insurance coverage for birth control. And I have protected consumers harmed by irresponsible companies, recovering $230 million for Coloradans defrauded by bad actors.I will continue to protect victims, advance public safety, and combat fentanyl. My office has held accountable those who harm victims—including drug cartels, human traffickers, and clergy who prey on children—and enforced the Victims Rights Act. I also secured over $520 million for Colorado from big pharmaceutical companies to address the opioid crisis. I will continue working to improve police recruitment and retention, providing better mental health services for law enforcement, and improving officer training. And I will continue to advocate for and advance responsible gun safety laws—implementing Colorado’s red flag law, encouraging safe gun storage, and ensuring domestic abusers cannot access firearms.As AG, I’ve also made protecting our land, water, and air a top priority. This includes fighting against buy-and-dry plans to take water from rural communities to new Front Range suburbs in ways that would harm rural jobs and farming communities. And I made addressing the challenges facing the Colorado River a top priority. We’re also taking on the producers of PFAS (harmful and toxic “forever chemicals”). We have fought to address the threat of climate change by fighting to allow Colorado to have stronger tailpipe emissions standards than the federal government and defending the national Methane Rule that restricts harmful emissions.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Youth mental health is one of my top priorities. Since 2018, my office has invested almost $1 million to prevent suicide by increasing help-seeking behaviors and promoting connections between peers and caring adults. My office also runs the Safe2Tell program, an anonymous tip line created in the wake of the Columbine tragedy. While initially conceived of as a way for students, teachers, and communities to anonymously report threats and to stop school violence, teen suicide has emerged as our number one tip in recent years. Over the last two years, reflecting sustained efforts to raise awareness of this program, overall tips rose to more than 20,000 reports, ranging from threats of suicide to students bringing guns to school to the sale of drugs. We have also launched investigations of TikTok and Instagram for the adverse impact of their actions on teen mental health, steering youth towards harmful content. To support those who have suffered trauma, I have proudly continued my Republican predecessor Cynthia Coffman’s initiatives in school safety, domestic violence and sexual assault prevention, substance abuse treatment, and childhood sexual abuse recovery. I was honored when she recognized my commitment to this work and crossed party lines to endorse my reelection.

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What is your political philosophy?

I'm running for Attorney General to fight for Colorado values and protect opportunities for all. We live in challenging times. Hyper-partisanship, cynicism and polarization pose a threat to our democracy and our way of life. We need leaders who are serious about public service, who will roll up their sleeves and work together to solve problems. We need to get back to governing together - where love of Colorado and country comes before party and special interests.

Is there anything you would like to add?

As the son and grandson of Holocaust survivors, I grew up learning about the importance of giving back and standing up for what is right. My mother was born in the Buchenwald concentration camp on April 13, 1945, one day before the U.S. Army liberated her and my grandmother. Growing up, I talked with my grandparents about their unique story of survival and resilience, which continues to inspire me. Whenever I asked my grandmother how she endured, she would tell me, “It’s easier to believe.” She taught me to never give up hope and never stop believing in a better future. That vision and my appreciation for our nation’s fundamental values led me to law school and a career in public service.[2]

—Phil Weiser[1]

Campaign website

The following themes were found on Weiser's campaign website (see website for citations and hyperlinks within Weiser's themes).

Consumer Protection

Consumers and good businesses thrive where there’s fair play. We must be prepared to protect our consumers when the federal government is turning its back on consumer protection, privacy, and antitrust enforcement. We need a state Attorney General who can fight for us and act as a national leader on these issues.

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