As he campaigns to become Colorado’s next governor, Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet is facing a hurdle: blowback from votes to confirm several of President Donald Trump’s Cabinet officials, particularly Energy Secretary Chris Wright.
Some Senate Democrats voted for Trump’s nominees early last year because of their qualifications, policy promises and efforts to work with the new administration. Many Democrats have come to regret those votes.
The dynamic is especially perilous for Bennet, who is competing against a strong primary opponent in a reliably blue state. The senator hopes a mea culpa satisfies voters.
“I voted for him in hope that his relationship to Colorado would mitigate his worst impulses, and make him better than other options on the table, and it didn’t,” Bennet said in a statement about supporting Wright. “Knowing what I know now, I would never have voted for him.”
