← Andy Beshear Podcast
Andy Beshear Podcast
Michael Bennet vs. Phil Weiser for Colorado Governor and Standing up for All of God's Children
00:59:35
Today we're heading west – to the Rocky Mountains, to be specific – because Colorado is one of the most fascinating political stories of our Primed for 2026 series. Gov. Jared Polis is term-limited and can't run again, which means for the first time in eight years, Colorado Democrats get to decide who their next leader is going to be. In a state where Republicans haven't won a governor's race since Bill Owens was reelected back in 2002, whoever wins that Democratic primary is almost certainly going to be the next governor. So the stakes? They're high.
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- [00:00]
Kelly Clarkson
Hey, y', all, it's Kelly Clarkson with Wayfair. Ever order furniture online and wonder what if? Like, what if it doesn't fit?
- [00:06]
Morgan Stewart
A little to the left? No, wait.
- [00:09]
Phil Weiser
Yep.
- [00:10]
Kelly Clarkson
Should have gone with Wayfair. Or what if it doesn't hold up?
- [00:12]
Morgan Stewart
That sofa was four days old.
- [00:14]
Kelly Clarkson
Should have ordered from Wayfair. Or what if it's that material that makes that noise?
- [00:18]
Morgan Stewart
It was a sofa. I swear.
- [00:20]
Kelly Clarkson
With Wayfair, there's no what if. Just style you love, quality you can trust, and furniture that actually fits your life. Visit wayfair.com or download the Wayfair app Wayfair Every style, Every home.
- [00:38]
Andy Beshear
Hey, podcast family. Welcome back. I'm Andy Beshear, and this is the show where we have real conversations with real people about things that actually matter. Today, we're heading west to the Rocky Mountains, to be specific, because Colorado is one of the most fascinating political stories of 2026. Governor Jared Polis is term limited. So for the first time in eight years, Colorado Democrats get to decide who their next leader is going to be. And in a state where Republicans haven't won a governor's race since Bill Owens was reelected back in 2002, whoever wins the Democratic primary is almost certainly going to be the next governor. So the stakes they are high. Two candidates have emerged as clear frontrunners, US Senator Michael Bennett and Attorney General Phil Weiser. These are two serious, accomplished Democrats, and they have been going at it. They've been trading barbs at candidate forums, in fundraising emails and on social media, each making the case that they are the one who can best fight for Colorado families and stand up to Washington. It's going to be a great episode where you can listen to them both and make up your mind about how and whether to get involved. Remember, you can download the Andy Beshear Podcast on all major platforms, but head on over to our YouTube channel at Andy Beshear Podcast. Subscribe, and if you leave a comment, we may read it or your question on one of our future podcasts. Let's get to it. The Andy Beshear Podcast is proud to be joined by Senator Michael Bennett, representing Colorado in the U.S. senate for three terms. Michael Bennett is delivered for working families and children. He's helped cut child poverty nearly in half through his expanded child tax credit. He's written clean energy tax provisions that create jobs and lower costs. And he secured billions of dollars to protect Colorado's water, forest and public lands. Michael has built a reputation for genuine outreach and building coalitions that deliver results, whether strengthening rural economies, investing in broadband and infrastructure, supporting veterans or securing resources for Colorado farmers and ranchers. He has also been a national leader on education, continuing the work he began as superintendent of Denver Public Schools, where he turned around struggling schools and expanded opportunities for Colorado kids. Michael is running for governor to make Colorado more affordable, to stand up to Trump's attacks on our values and and to protect the Colorado way of life for future generations. Senator, welcome to the podcast, Governor.
- [03:20]
Michael Bennett
That's a really nice introduction. I appreciate it. Thanks for having me.
- [03:24]
Andy Beshear
Well, first question that everybody is going to want to know, and I'm sure you talk about it a lot on the campaign trail, is you are a sitting US Senator, but you're running for the best job in the world. So tell our listeners why.
- [03:38]
Michael Bennett
I'm glad to hear you sitting that, by the way, because when I talk to the former governors who are in the Senate, who are constantly talking about how being governor was a better job than being a senator, the minute that I told them I was going to run for governor, they all had a reason why I shouldn't do it. But from my perspective, Governor, this is a moment when the real battle for our future is going to come from the states. It's not going to come from Washington, D.C. and I think that's a combination, obviously, of fighting. The worst instincts of this Trump administration, which you see on display every single day, is standing up to the lawlessness, the lawlessness of that. But it's also a chance to be able to actually have, I think, a compelling vision of what the future of the country is going to look like, what the future of Colorado is going to look like. We are having an affordability crisis in Colorado. It's almost like we have two states. There are people that are my generation that are on the right side of the asset inflation and the increases in real estate prices, all for the last 15 years or so. And then there's everyone else. And there's not a county left in Colorado where anybody feels like their kids are going to be able to afford to live there. And our kids are desperate and angry because they don't believe there's going to be room for them in the state that they love. So I think we need to address those questions.
- [05:08]
Andy Beshear
It must be frustrating to be in Congress, to be in the Senate right now with majorities that just won't do their job. I think about how all the founders of any party must be rolling in their grace. That idea that one branch of government just wouldn't do their job with the natural friction that's supposed to be there regardless of party. What's it like living through that?
- [05:33]
Michael Bennett
It's. It is. It is. It's a terrible moment. I mean, partly it's a terrible moment because the national Republican Party in the Senate has become kind of a cult of personality. I mean, I wouldn't have said that to you eight years ago. I mean, there were an endless list almost of Republicans that I worked with here that, that were acted as people that were acting in the interest of their state and the interest of the country and who, by the way, thought that Donald Trump wasn't even a Republican in those days, much less, you know, somebody that should be in high office. And now that President Trump has won two elections, there are a lot of people here who actually feel like he's done the right thing and he set a standard and they're willing to benefit from the political kleptocracy that he and his family represent. And then on the Democratic side, I mean, as painful as it is for me to say this, I think the Democratic Party in Washington doesn't even understand that we were repudiated in the last election or why we were repudiated in the last election. And I think that leads us to pursue a set of choices that I think are not always the best. When you're thinking about how to win an enduring majority in this country in the Senate and obviously ultimately win the White House, we've got to do a lot better, I think, than we're doing from here.
- [07:02]
Andy Beshear
So you have a fascinating background. You've done a lot, whether it's with the legal system, whether it's in education that I know John's going to ask about. But I think one part of your background that is well suited for a governorship is your work with the city of Denver, with your fellow senator, former Governor John Hickenlooper. Tell us about that time getting to work with your friend that you had helped get elected.
- [07:31]
Michael Bennett
It was great. I mean, John had John was a small business owner. He owned a brewery in Denver, and he set out to run for mayor. And he had seven people or so who were better known than he was ahead of him. And he ultimately knocked each one off and became an incredibly successful mayor. Denver at that time had serious fiscal challenges and it had serious economic challenges. We were not growing our economy. We were not attractive, I don't think, to business at the time. And that showed up in the fiscal challenges that we were facing. And actually, after the work with John, I then, as you mentioned, I went to be superintendent of schools and again had to wrestle a really brutal financial picture into place to be able to go from being the lowest paying, you know, salaries for teachers. When I took over to leading the metro area around Denver, that required a lot of hard choices that are going to be in front of me if I am elected governor because Colorado is in really tough fiscal shape right now.
- [08:42]
John McConnell
Well, Senator John McConnell here on the movement of public education. If elected, how would you go about lifting up the public schools around Denver to get you competitive so those kids can afford to stay to live in Denver?
- [08:56]
Michael Bennett
I think there are two big challenges. One is getting our teachers paid what they ought to be paid. That's been a challenge, you know, for decades because we're still running a system of paying teachers that was designed when we had a labor market that discriminated against women and said to women, you can have two professional choices, one's being a nurse, one's being a teacher. We discriminate against women then, and we paid teachers a ridiculously low wage then, and we're still doing it. It's the legacy of that old system. We've got to find a way to deal with that. And then second question. I think it's so critical. Our kids have got to be prepared when they're leaving high school to earn a living wage, not just the minimum wage. And frankly, all over America, all over Colorado, kids aren't graduating with the skills to earn a living wage and that affects their earning power for their entire lives. I want kids to be propelled to out of our high schools into the middle class, just like the industrialized countries around the world we're competing with. But there's not a state in America and say that that is what they've accomplished for our kids. And I hope that Colorado will be the first.
- [10:14]
Andy Beshear
If you thought about the first five days on the job, right, first five business days, what would you see as those things that you would want to do right out of the box?
- [10:28]
Michael Bennett
I would say, first of all, Governor, that I represent a state, Colorado, that's a blue state, that's drowning in red tape. And I think in the first five days we can cut a bunch of red tape to try to make it a little bit easier for small business to succeed in Colorado. We've recently seen 25% of the restaurants close in Denver because they weren't able to handle a whole bunch of changes to the law that some of which were really well intentioned but didn't add up for small business. I think that would be an important beginning. And then I hope that we are going to be. The first five days would be the start of bringing back together the civic infrastructure of our state to be able to really make some huge choices that we have to make about how to build housing, how to make child care affordable for people. I mean, the list is long, but that work will start in the first five days.
- [11:30]
Andy Beshear
I think about that as the American dream and whether it's possible for the citizens of Kentucky or Colorado. And you get the opportunity, you'll love this job because you get to get up and fight for it every day. I think the other challenge that faces America is a level of division. So how, as governor, would you try to bring people together?
- [11:53]
Michael Bennett
First of all, what could be more worth fighting for than the American dream? And that is what is at risk in our country. And, Governor, I know you have been talking about that. I mean, look, I blame Trump for all kinds of things, but getting elected is not one of those things. You know, he got elected twice. The American people took four, four years off in the middle, and they sent him back. I think there's a huge. There was a huge failure of national Democrats to demonstrate to the American people that we had a compelling view about how to deal with their economic distress and the fact that they believe, and most Americans now believe, that their kids are going to live a worse life than they live. That's not the American dream. That's the opposite of the American dream. And so we have to, I think, move past the rhetoric of division, as you said, into a place where we're actually trying to figure out how to solve some fundamental issues. I've said Colorado, no working person should have to spend more than 30% of their income on housing, just as an example. And when I meet with young people, as I did this weekend, Governor, and I say to them at the end, after they go through the litany of all the things they can't afford, I say to them, what do you think would make the biggest difference in trying to change any of this? And they say if we treated this country like it was one nation under God, that would make the biggest difference.
- [13:19]
Andy Beshear
Indivisible.
- [13:21]
Michael Bennett
Exactly.
- [13:22]
John McConnell
Wow. Senator, one question I'd like to put in as well is that you talk about affordability and trying to keep Colorado's kids in Colorado, and then the next thing that we keep hearing from young professionals is, is health care? How are you going to help make that affordable? And then the next thing they ask about is access.
- [13:43]
Michael Bennett
Housing is the number one issue. Health care is the number two issue. And it's amazing, isn't it, that Kentucky and Colorado, as different as they are, that those are the two the things that people talk about. And in Colorado, I've got people that are, that are that young population that stayed thanks to the Affordable Care act on their family's insurance for an extra year when they're 26. But now they're saying to me, what am I supposed to do, Michael? Take two or three jobs to pay for the insurance that I'm getting? And that insurance has become much more expensive and the deductible is now $10,000. People in my state this weekend were saying to me I can't even go out and mountain bike here anymore for fear that something's going to happen to me. That's the whole point of living in Colorado. So I've said two things about this. One, we should have a true public option in Colorado so if families want to have that instead of the traditional insurance, they ought to be able to have it. And two, that everybody ought to be able to buy into the state employees health care system because it's just unfair for people to be in the situation they're in today.
- [14:53]
Andy Beshear
So most of our listeners are scattered around the country. Why should they care about a primary in Colorado? And if they do, why are you the candidate?
- [15:03]
Michael Bennett
Thank you. Thank you, Governor. I think they should care about a primary in Colorado because they should care about every single race in this country. I meant what I said earlier. I think the battle is going to come from the states just like it did 100 years ago when we were in a gilded age, much like the one we're in right now. It was states and it was cities and it was communities coming together to say we, we are going to deal with this reactionary age by reinventing what the future of America is going to look like. And we created the circumstances there that ultimately gave FDR the fuel he needed to be able to propel a progressive movement in this country that lasted for generations. That's the moment I think we're in right now. I think I'm the right person for this race because I've got a very, very unusual set of experiences for this job. I've spent time in the public sector, private sector restructuring billion dollar enterprises. I ran one of the most complicated systems in Colorado, the Denver Public Schools, where we saw dramatic student achievement growth and dealt with the fiscal headwinds that we were facing. And then three terms in the Senate where, you know, I've served at the national level and I've learned the governor will like this. I've learned, you know, that our answers are not going to come from a permanent game of shirts and skins where we perfected the ability of doing nothing and blaming the other side for the fact that we've done nothing. I think that bringing a perspective to Colorado that has that sort of interesting set of experiences, I think at this moment, where coloring inside the lines is not going to get us where we need to be either as a state or a country, we're going to have to make some really tough choices and have some hard conversations and actually begin to begin to sit across the table from people with whom we disagree and chart a path forward for our kids and for our grandkids before this is too late.
- [17:12]
Andy Beshear
We like to ask all of our guests not just about the what, but about the why. Why they do what they do. What is it that drives them? For me, it's my family and my faith. So what is Michael Bennett's why?
- [17:27]
Michael Bennett
I would say, Governor, it's my family, too. My dad was a public servant who told me, taught me like yours was not a politician, but he was a public servant who taught me the public service was noble. My mom was an immigrant to this country. She had been born in Warsaw, Poland, in 1938, the year before Hitler rolled into Poland, and her entire family was killed except for her and her parents and an aunt. And they got to this country and they rebuilt their shattered lives in the only country in the world where I think that was possible on the one hand. On the other hand, I feel an intense moral obligation to my own three daughters that Susan and I have raised in Colorado and the kids that I work for in the Denver public Schools and the kids all over rural Colorado whose parents want exactly the same thing as the parents in Denver want for their kids, but are divided by a politics that's just not advancing the needs of our state, or I would say the needs of our country. That's what drives me every day. You know, we can't give up, Governor. That isn't. That dishonors the work that people that have been in even tougher situations than the one we're in right now, it dishonors their work. It dishonors their hope. And I think, you know, hopefully when we're doing these jobs the best way they can be done, maybe we begin to honor that work a little bit.
- [18:59]
Andy Beshear
We also like to ask our guests what their secret superpower is, something that they are really good at, that no one knows.
- [19:07]
Michael Bennett
You know, what I would say about that? Nobody's ever asked me that. And I think it may be my dyslexia governor, which I've always viewed as a strength. I think I see the world in a little bit of a different way than maybe others. And maybe that's because early on it was harder for me to be able to just read stuff in the classroom. And I've had to teach myself over the years to be able to do that and also think about things, I think, a little bit differently.
- [19:39]
Andy Beshear
What do you like to do if you get a day or a weekend
- [19:42]
Michael Bennett
off that is really easy. Climbing Colorado's 14ers. We have the most beautiful mountains in America. And, you know, they're not a long drive from Denver. And often when I'm traveling the state for one reason or another, we have the chance just to get off the road and take a hike that frankly, people fly all over the world to have the chance to be able to do. I get to do it right in our backyard. That's an amazing thing I never take for granted.
- [20:16]
Andy Beshear
Okay, let's say you are a year in to a term as governor. What do you want people looking back on that year saying about you?
- [20:25]
Michael Bennett
I'd want people to say that we have built a substantial political coalition across the state that's engaged rural Colorado and urban Colorado around the question of whether or not our kids are going to be able to live here. And that we have spent year one getting ready to be a place where no working person has to spend more than 30% of their income on housing, that we have a plan to be able to bring down the cost of childcare, that we're on our way to ensuring that the kids that are graduating from our high schools are graduating into a middle class job. I mean, I don't see this, governor, as a one year project. I see it as the rest of our lifetimes, frankly, working on all this. We have a lot to do to get us out of the reactionary period that we're in, out of the Gilded Age that we're in, and into a world where the American dream, you know, the pump is primed again for the American dream so that when the economy grows, it grows for everybody, not just the people at the very top. I'd like Colorado to be able to set an example for the rest of the country that can, that we can learn from and that we can draw inspiration from.
- [21:43]
Andy Beshear
Tell our listeners how to follow your campaign.
- [21:46]
Michael Bennett
Come to michaelbennett.com and you can follow my campaign. We'd love to have you. And as I said earlier this is one of the elections next year that's really going to matter in the nation and we'd love to have your support and your good wishes.
- [22:01]
Andy Beshear
Michael Bennett, U.S. senator, candidate for Governor of Colorado who owns on his free time apparently just scales mountains. Thanks for joining us on the podcast.
- [22:10]
Michael Bennett
Thank you Governor. Thank you, John. It was great to be with you.
- [22:15]
Morgan Stewart
Hey everyone, it's me, Morgan Stewart, and I have a new podcast called the Morgan Stewart Show. Join me each week as I talk about pop culture, fashion, my personal life and just a warning, I'm gonna be giving my opinion on everything. I'll also have some really fun guests to join in on the fun the Morgan Stewart show is out now. Listen and follow wherever you get your podcasts or watch full video on YouTube.
- [22:35]
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- [23:04]
Andy Beshear
Our next guest on the Andy Beshear podcast is a familiar face. It's Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser. Previously we had Phil on a statement of the case. Phil is a proven fighter for Colorado and a lifelong public servant dedicated to putting people first. As Colorado's Attorney General, Phil has consistently defended the rule of law, protected our democracy. Thanks for that. And taken on bad actors who ripped off families, raise costs, and abuse their power. When the Trump administration threatens Colorado's values, freedoms and constitutional authority, Phil is not staying on the sidelines. He's fighting back and suing the Trump administration to protect immigrants, voting rights and the integrity of our democracy. As the son and grandson of Holocaust survivors, Phil has dedicated his career to ensuring that all people, no matter their gender, ethnicity, faith, or who they love, are free from discrimination, hatred and oppression. His commitment to these core American values is deeply rooted in his family's story and lived experience. And he is now in the primary for governor of Colorado. Phil, welcome back to the podcast.
- [24:16]
Phil Weiser
Andy, thank you for having me.
- [24:17]
Andy Beshear
When we had you on last, you were doing a statement of the case about a lawsuit against Donald Trump and you and other Democratic AGs, joined by Josh Shapiro and I have stood up time and time again. I think I want to start by asking you what's it like to go to battle with the President of the United States?
- [24:38]
Phil Weiser
Andy, I want to start with that lawsuit we talked about it was involving SNAP benefits. And during the pandemic that the agriculture Secretary, Brooke Rollins, made a mean spirited, illegal decision making to withhold people's access to food, even though the law specified that there was an emergency reserve that should have been used and we had to go to court. We were successful. Obviously, the government shutdown when this was happening was short lived. And so we did get the funding online for that reason. But before that happened, during the shutdown, we were able to go to court to protect access SNAP benefits. The same thing happened a second time just to Colorado. Andy, it's worth noting this agriculture secretary is part of an effort to punish Colorado because the president doesn't like that. Tina Peters, a former county clerk who broke the laws in jail and we have mail in voting, they've singled Colorado out for these punishments. Severe measures, he's called it. One of them was to try to take away snap benefits from 600,000 Coloradans relying on their next meal. We went to court a second time against his agriculture secretary and were successful there as well.
- [25:52]
Andy Beshear
You had to sue twice just so people could have enough to eat?
- [25:55]
Phil Weiser
That's right, yes. This agriculture secretary should be ashamed of herself. She also was sued a third time by me because she fired Forest Service firefighters. And we had one of those firefighters come speak to a meaningful state ag group. You know this group well, Andy. You're still one of us in spirit. We heard from Mariah Washburn, a firefighter who is basically told to leave her job right before fire season. We went to court, got her job back. She talked about the lies this agriculture secretary had told about the Forest Service. So some people are willing to make excuses, even try to say nice things about some of the these Trump officials who are breaking the law and harming people. I'm not. And so I would say, what is it like? It is a test of your fearlessness. Are you willing to fight for what is right? Are you committed to standing up for the rule of law or are you afraid? That is the key moment of this, the key question of this moment. And I'm never going to be afraid to take on a bully. I am always going to fight for its right.
- [26:59]
Andy Beshear
So you are standing for election, but a lot of Americans are worried about whether there are going to be free and fair elections. But you're an attorney general, so I know you're pushing back. Tell us about your game plan.
- [27:15]
Phil Weiser
Three points. And we just had a meeting of democratic AGs. We're talking about this. First important point is we need we the people, mobilizing at no Kings rallies, at other moments, making clear, just like we saw in Minnesota, peaceful protesting, we are going to stand for our democratic republic. We are not going to let elections be quote, unquote, nationalized or interfered with. That's going to be a very important part of our strategy. Number two, our Constitution is clear. And I went to the Supreme Court and argued a case personally on this issue. And you may remember this issue around faithless electors. Could states require those electors to represent the people or not? My argument was states have the full authority to oversee elections. I won that 9 0. We're going to once again stand up for that principle. And third, if there are shenanigans that are being pulled to intimidate voters, we're going to do everything we can to have resilient, safe and secure elections in Colorado. We design our elections in a gold standard way that makes it harder to interfere with them. Other states could take a page from our book on that.
- [28:18]
Andy Beshear
So your attorney general, your opponent's a US Senator. Tell us why you think that your service as attorney general better prepares you to be governor.
- [28:30]
Phil Weiser
Three points, Andy. I want to touch on the first is my experience standing up for our Constitution, for the rule of law, and pushing back against this lawless, bullying administration is something on people's minds. Senator Michael Bennett has voted for more of Trump's cabinet than almost any Democrat in the Senate. The Brooke Rollins who we were talking about before, someone he voted for and says he continues to stand by that vote and support her service, even as I've had to sue her those three times. I disagree with that approach. A second issue, and you know this well, I don't think there's a better job that prepares you to be governor than attorney general. I represent every agency in state government. I worked with you on the opioid crisis. And Colorado has a claim to have done the best job dispersing those funds in a way that from John Oliver to Johns Hopkins School of Public Health has been praised as a national standard. I've had to work with our government to get things done. I am also, this is my third point, running a grassroots campaign. We've got 90% of our donors from Colorado. We've got more state and local current and former elected officials who've endorsed me by far than have endorsed Senator Bennett, even though he's been in elected office a decade more. Our grassroots campaign is both why I should win and why I believe we will win.
- [29:43]
John McConnell
Phil, John McConnell here. Going to jump in with a question. When we look at affordability across the country and also in your state. What are your plans for helping the people of your state cope with this?
- [29:58]
Phil Weiser
I'm going to quickly go through three areas on people's minds. Housing, health care and childcare. On housing, the Great Recession brain broke our housing market in Colorado. Starter homes that used to be available, that teachers could afford, that nurses could afford, they're no longer in the Denver metro area to take a notable example. Meaning people are commuting an hour more now in a way that I believe is just wrong. It's wrong for our climate, it's wrong for our transportation system, it's wrong for our communities. I want people who are police officers to give the coach to the local little league teams to be close by in case there's an emergency. And right now, in so many of our communities in Colorado, not just in the Denver metro area, but Mount communities and others, that's not possible. We need to lean into this challenge with several different strategies. First, when permitting costs are too high and permitting takes too long, we need to make sure we address it so the incentives are right so people can build housing that is market rate housing, but it's also affordable. That that was happening before the Great Recession. I purchased one of those homes. They don't exist anymore. We need to make sure that government isn't part of the problem disincentivizing this building, but instead we created a system that incentivized it. Also on housing, we need more innovation, modular housing. 40% of housing in Sweden now is modular housing. Colorado, we're barely using it, even though it's 20% quicker, 30% cheaper. I'm going to lean into it. And third, we need to make sure that our state government is an effective convener, making it easier for people getting access to programs that support affordable housing. And right now we're making it too hard. I'm going to make sure we've got a unified coordinated strategy that's going to get this job done. On health care, we need to make sure that we're creating more competition in health care using innovation and technology, how we can and making it a health system, not a sick system. If we don't treat diabetes up front, helping people live healthier lives, get access to medication, then we're dealing with it on the back end with dialysis or even amputation, it's more expensive. We also need to make sure that we're taking on big Pharma, effectively lower the cost of prescription drugs. And finally, a third point is child care, which in Colorado is among the most expensive it is in the nation. We need a collaboration between our state government where we can build a child care solutions fund, making sure we're training people, certifying people appropriately, and local governments making sure that we're building capacity. We need. This is challenging work. I've done this work at the state level. I mentioned my leadership on the opioid crisis, on youth, mental health and more. I'm ready to get to work on our affordability challenges.
- [32:40]
John McConnell
Phil, that kind of leads to the next one. If elected governor, what are the first three priorities you would tackle on day one?
- [32:48]
Phil Weiser
First one is making sure that we are defending our freedom, standing up against this administration. Number two, the affordability challenges we just talked about. Number three, opportunity for our kids. I want to talk about this because I know it's an area that Andy and I share a passion. We talked last time I was here about the work we've done protecting AmeriCorps and service. I know young people are hurting. We've got a not just challenge around workforce development, but around almost a spiritual challenge that people don't feel, a sense of belonging and purpose. I want young people to know we care about them. That's why I want to build a mentorship program in Colorado so every young person has multiple mentors. Right now, 40% of young Coloradans have no mentors. We need to do better. We need to make sure we got workforce development pathways. Young people have hope about a good job, including in key trades like plumbing or as an electrician that we're not training people for. And I want to create a Colorado corps where young people can be in public service across Colorado. Law enforcement, firefighting, counseling, nursing and teaching. I know how impactful that can be both to the communities and for the young people. Those are my top three priorities.
- [34:00]
Andy Beshear
You're listening to the Andy Beshear Podcast. Our guest, Colorado Attorney General and candidate for governor, Phil Weiser. Phil, as attorneys general, one of our I guess I'm a former jobs is public safety. As governor, what would you do differently on public safety? And then also comment on the fact that right now public safety is being impacted negatively by a federal law enforcement agency, ice, who now has an American body count and whose aggressive tactics are unlike anything I've ever seen in professional law enforcement.
- [34:39]
Phil Weiser
Andy, this is another distinction between Senator Bennett and myself. You can look at our 100 page cotta blueprint that covers the waterfront, including the plans for public safety. I'll talk about now. Senator Bennett hasn't talked about any plans for public safety. It's not an area he's familiar with. I am prepared to take this issue on. Let me tell you what we need to do. First, I mentioned Colorado Corps and recruiting more people into law enforcement. And in too many parts of Colorado, including in Denver, we don't have enough law enforcement, which means some victims, car thefts, people stealing from a business, harassment scams. We are not holding criminals to account. Victims are not even being responded to. I'm committed to addressing that situation, recruiting, training more people into law enforcement, to making sure we're responding effectively. Number two, we need smart prevention strategies. So the young people who might be suffering and acting out, we're asking, are you okay? What's going on at home? Finding ways to support young people. I mentioned the mentoring program before, not having people go into a school to prison pipeline. And third, in Colorado, we need to do so much better in reentry. The most likely people to commit crimes are those who are leaving prison, 45% of whom in Colorado end up committing crimes. The national average is 37%. We got to do much better on reentry. I've been developing plans on how to do this, and I'm committed to making a difference as governor. And as for ice, you are right. The lawlessness and the harm that they are causing makes our communities less safe, which is why I have set up an online system where people can report crimes by federal agents, whoever they are, ice, Border Patrol, what have you, and we can work with law enforcement. We're ready to prosecute these crimes because accountability is important. Nobody is above the law.
- [36:33]
Andy Beshear
Now, as we're here taping your part of this episode, we've just come off a big Supreme Court case on tariffs. I know you were part of that lawsuit and so was I. This is Trump's Supreme Court ruling against him, which means what he did must have been really, really unconstitutional. And him saying, oh, he's going to do it anyways. So, again, knowing that the episode isn't going to air for a couple of weeks and taking that into consideration, I still want to ask what comes next.
- [37:08]
Phil Weiser
This is an important moment to review. And I like your standard. There's unconstitutional, there's really unconstitutional, and there's really, really unconstitutional. There's a reason that no other president had attempted to claim this sweeping authority that literally, as claimed, had no limits at all and would basically rewrite the Constitution. The Constitution says the power to tax, the power to impose tariffs. It's in the legislative branch. Our current president wants to take all power away from the legislative branch. The Supreme Court said you can't do that. That's an important statement. With the president having broke the law and the tariffs declared invalid, the question that will now go to the local court, the trial court should say is what happens next. And the president will need to offer a plan for how to remedy the harm, how to fix this illegal conduct. We will obviously be fighting for our citizens to be remediated to have essentially the type of repair that needs to happen because people have been paying too much money on account of these illegal tariffs and businesses have been harmed and disrupted. I've heard from a number of them in Colorado that this has been a major challenge for them. So our job now is to make sure that it's right for people. That's the next step, fighting for that at the trial court.
- [38:33]
Andy Beshear
Isn't it ironic that President Trump once talked about wanting to cut every American a check for tariffs and now he might have to?
- [38:42]
Phil Weiser
Irony can be pretty ironic sometimes.
- [38:45]
Andy Beshear
So tell our listeners that are outside of Colorado why they should be interested in this race and why you're the right candidate.
- [38:54]
Phil Weiser
Andy, I want to start with something I've learned from you, Josh Shapiro and other state AGs, which is if we do not elect Democrats across the nation who walk the walk of showing up, really listening to people and fighting for them, then our party's in trouble. We need to make sure that authentically committed public servants who know how to get stuff done are the ones winning up and down the ballot. I've gone to every county in my state. I've worked on the opioid crisis, set up a framework that's making incredible difference. Fentanyl deaths in Colorado last year on record went down by 31%. I've worked on the youth mental health crisis, how we protect our water, standing up for consumers. I've been doing the work in the right way. That's the sort of leadership we need. You can learn more about me@philforcolorado.com and that's the sort of spirit that I come to public service with. Which for me is something I learned naturally because I am a first generation American. My mom and my grandmother both survived the Holocaust and were liberated by U.S. army soldiers in the 6th Armored Division on April 18, 1945. And in my family, the difference between my mom being liberated and my being here as attorney general is one generation where I've lived the American dream of freedom and opportunity. I want that for everybody. I believe in making government work for people, be honored to keep serving. And anyone here looking for can candidates to adopt and support. Take a look.
- [40:22]
Andy Beshear
Wow. Before we let you go, we do like our audience to not only hear about your ideas, but to get to know you a little bit. And I think they just did through that. Powerful answer. But let me what is the very first thing if somebody's visiting Colorado for the first time that they should do?
- [40:43]
Phil Weiser
You're asking me to pick between my kids? Of course. One thing. Here's what I'll tell you.
- [40:49]
Andy Beshear
Is it hiking?
- [40:50]
Phil Weiser
No, you can't. I can't do this. I love Colorado through and through, and there's so much to do here in every part of our state. Depending on what you prefer and how well the Nuggets are playing, you know, there might be a Nuggets game to watch. There might be a hike. There might be skiing. There might be the great sand dunes. There might be incredible rafting. There could be fishing. You can be here for weeks and weeks and just enjoy our beautiful state. I recommend you check it out.
- [41:23]
Andy Beshear
This is like when someone asks me, the governor of Kentucky, what my favorite bourbon is. But I will tell you, my favorite child is the dog. She doesn't talk back.
- [41:34]
Phil Weiser
We didn't have a dog until the pandemic, and now we're totally hooked. And our dog has an Instagram account, the People's Pooch. So you can follow Zeke. You can see him in his Bill Weiser for governor dog bandana. We are dog people now.
- [41:48]
Andy Beshear
We refuse to get Winnie her own account because no one would look at ours. Phil, what is your secret superpower? What is the one thing that you're really good at that nobody knows about?
- [42:00]
Phil Weiser
Well, people who watch me know this. My energy level is. I don't know how to explain this, but it's more than the normal human. I am able to go, go, go, because I feed off people. And so I constantly are energized. And that helps me on the trail because people are looking for someone who connects, looking for someone who shows up with energy. And I do think that is my superpower.
- [42:28]
Andy Beshear
Phil Weiser, current Attorney General and candidate for governor of Colorado. Thanks for coming back on the podcast.
- [42:35]
Phil Weiser
Thanks for having me, Andy. Great to be with you guys.
- [42:39]
Morgan Stewart
Hey, everyone, it's me, Morgan Stewart, and I have a new podcast called the Morgan Stewart Show. Join me each week as I talk about pop culture, fashion, my personal life, and just a warning, I'm going to be giving my opinion on everything. I'll also have some really fun guests to join in on the fun. The Morgan Stewart show is out. Now listen and follow wherever you get your podcasts or watch full video on YouTube.
- [42:59]
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- [43:35]
Andy Beshear
Our next segment on the Andy Beshear podcast is the return of statement of the case. In this statement of the case, we're going to talk about the Christopher Street Project. To do so, we have Tyler Hack, the founder and executive director of the Christopher Street Project. Before starting Christopher Street, Tyler organized to elect Democrats up and down the ballot. Did the field work, the fundraising, the communications and campaign operations did it all. Tyler founded Christopher street after Republicans spent over $200 million to exploit transgender people during their campaigns. A tax which some Democrats decided to adopt. The name Christopher Street Project pays homage to the legacy of trans people at the forefront of the gay liberation movement. And Tyler's great uncle, Mark Scheer, who was beaten up by police in the Stonewall riots. Welcome to the podcast.
- [44:35]
Tyler Hack
Thank you so much for having me governor.
- [44:37]
Andy Beshear
Now we're glad to have you. So you founded the Christopher street project at age 19 years old. What was, what was the moment that you knew you had to do this?
- [44:49]
Tyler Hack
I mean, in the fall of 2024, we saw these attacks by Republicans putting trans kids on t kids who never wanted to be in the spotlight and being used as political footballs by the Republican Party. And we saw a failure of leadership by many individuals in our party in standing up to those attacks. And as we saw the election result, we saw a few Democrats scapegoat trans kids for the loss instead of focusing on the actual issues that most voters mo most voters care about, which are affordability, the, the cost of living crisis, and now these reckless tariffs ice running rampant in our streets. I mean, there's so many other things going on and yet some people in our own party chose to weaponize transgender kids. And I just thought that that wasn't acceptable. We are in a moment of rebuilding our party and we need to center it around leaders who have a moral backbone who are not willing to throw anyone under the bus and are actually willing to build broad coalitions to bring more people in to this movement.
- [46:19]
Andy Beshear
Well, and I, I hope people saw in my re election in 2023 that you can stand against discrimination and still win anywhere.
- [46:28]
Tyler Hack
Yeah, absolutely. I mean, you are the blueprint in in many cases of what it looks like to stand up for trans kids. And that not being a liability, but actually being an example of an elected official being truthful and honest. In this moment, more than anything else, people want leaders who are honest with them or bold and will just tell it like it is. And you showed your willingness to do that. And we need more leaders who will speak in their own voice. You know, there's not a one size fits all model for how to talk about these issues or any issues, but will actually bring folks to the table in conservative areas and talk about what it means to be trans fighting back against these conservative attacks.
- [47:26]
Andy Beshear
Tell us what the Christopher Street Project does day to day.
- [47:30]
Tyler Hack
Yeah, we exist to build political power for the trans community that looks like going around the country and electing leaders who will fight for our rights and freedoms. Our first endorsement was Adelita Grijalva, and now congresswoman from Arizona 7th, who served for 20 years on the Tucson Unified School District board, fought for trans kids there as a county supervisor and just chose what it looks like to be a meaningful ally and is now one of our top champions in the halls of Congress. There are lots more opportunities to elect folks who are champions. Adelica Grahalva, one of our top champions in Congress and we're looking at opportunities to expand the map to support Democrats who are running in tough districts. We know that there is no pro equality majority without a Democratic majority. And we are ready to invest in a few seats where we have bold candidates who are willing to say it like it is and defend trans kids against Republican attacks. And then we work in the halls of Congress to build support behind things like the Trans Bill of Rights, the 988 youth suicide prevention act, and other pieces of legislation that would not only defend us against Republican attacks, but safeguard our rights and freedoms in years to come. We can't have another situation where a Republican president and a majority wants to come in and strip away our rights and freedoms for political points and we just let that happen. We need real legislative safeguards and we're building the support behind those so that in 2029 we can hit the ground running and enact those bills, actually building up a firewall of support behind the trans community that no rogue president can undo.
- [49:36]
Andy Beshear
So I think our podcast audience is very empathetic. Some might not know. Well, a trans individual, if you can describe what this discrimination, what this hate coming from some feels like, I think
- [49:58]
Tyler Hack
this is something that every trans person has dealt with, discrimination, and it's no different than discrimination against any other marginalized group. Something we say at Christopher Street Project is our freedoms are intertwined. We are fighting for the rights of our immigrant siblings who are in ICE custody and are at misgendered detention conditions, and fighting for the rights of people in every space, because there's no one issue that's a trans issue. I think the difference in this moment is we are up against the full force of the federal government in a way that even under the Bush and Reagan administrations and other times, they just haven't been so laser focused on this. The DOJ and plenty of other agencies are really doing everything they can to invalidate the identities of trans people. And it's a, a big weight for trans people and Americans to feel like the full force of the federal government is against them. It. Discrimination is never okay. And we know that when it's someone on the street or it's someone in an online forum, that at least we, we can tell ourselves that that's an isolated incident. Obviously, transphobia is a pervasive illness in this country as, as are so many other forms of bigotry. But there's no denying when it's coming from the federal administration that the cruelty is the point. It's really hard. And we need to stand shoulder to shoulder with anyone who has ever experienced any form of adversity, which is essentially everyone in this country, and say, you know, we're not letting anyone be attacked by this administration. And we, we will stand shoulder to shoulder with anyone who will stand shoulder to shoulder with us. That's the way that we build ourselves out of, of this place.
- [52:26]
Andy Beshear
As we close out, tell our listeners how they can follow the Christopher Street Project.
- [52:31]
Tyler Hack
Yeah. Please go to Christopher streetproject.org for more information. We for train save visibility. We are rallying on the National Mall on March 28 with many elected leaders, drag queens, some amazing activists, and if you can't make it in person in D.C. please follow along and support our work. And I just want to say thank you, Governor, for giving trans kids a voice and someone that they can look up to. I think there are a lot of people who are looking to score political points in this moment, and even you stood up for trans kids in a moment where a lot of people were telling you not to. And that means something to our community, and we won't forget it.
- [53:25]
Andy Beshear
All kids are children of God, and I don't like bullies. So, Tyler, thanks for joining the podcast.
- [53:31]
Tyler Hack
Thank you, Governor.
- [53:37]
Andy Beshear
You're listening and hopefully watching the Andy Beshear Podcast. This is a podcast where we have real conversations about things that matter. It's supposed to be a conversation among friends and that's why we regularly do a segment about my conversation with the Johns, two of my friends that helped me start this podcast. But today it's singular. It's a conversation with the John. In this case, John McConnell. How you doing?
- [54:02]
John McConnell
I'm doing good. So it's the John today. So I'd like to say, you know, we do miss John Rabinowitz.
- [54:08]
Andy Beshear
Kind of.
- [54:09]
John McConnell
Kind of. It's always good to have him here. But there will be very few shameless plugs for small businesses because of that.
- [54:15]
Andy Beshear
That's right. There's going to be no free advertising today.
- [54:18]
John McConnell
That's right. That's right. So, John, we hope you're having a good time, but we do miss you.
- [54:22]
Andy Beshear
So what's on your mind?
- [54:23]
John McConnell
Well, going to ask you real quick. It looks like you did a little traveling in the last couple of days and may have spoken in a specific county with a certain audience. Possibly.
- [54:34]
Andy Beshear
I was in Butler County, Ohio, on Saturday night. There's a Democratic dinner sold out, 400 plus strong. It was the largest fundraiser the county had ever had. But what makes this unique is that Butler county is where Vice President J.D. vance is actually from, instead of Appalachia and Breathitt county where he pretends to be from. I'll be honest, your former senator and now our vice president burns me up. He wrote an entire book that trafficked in tired stereotypes about the people in my state, calling the people who mined the coal to power the industrial revolution, helped us to win two world wars. He called them lazy. He said that addiction is the fault of the people struggling, not the opioid companies that flooded our communities with thousands of pills for every individual. As ag, I sued more opioid companies than any other in the country. If I would have found more, I
- [55:38]
Michael Bennett
would have sued them, too.
- [55:39]
John McConnell
Wow. So turnout was good?
- [55:41]
Andy Beshear
Turnout was huge. Energy was positive. Sherrod Brown, former senator, who is running again, was there. Amy Acton, running for governor there, who has been on the podcast, was there. And so it was an energy filled night. But, you know, I got to speak my mind. I think JD Vance is the most condescending politician I've ever seen. And that's saying something, given who his boss is.
- [56:07]
John McConnell
Yeah, it is. And speaking of his boss, there's been a couple of tweets that have Come out here recently. I know that you and I have discussed some and kind of what are your thoughts on some of those that have just hit us?
- [56:19]
Andy Beshear
So the most recent one, and let me just say that every time he posts on Truth Social, it seems like he fails the test of basic morality. I get it that maybe you don't like people, but you don't have to post about it. But this one went far over the line. So we know how he generally feels about Bob Mueller and feels like he was wrongfully attacked or investigated. But Bob Mueller, at the age of 81, passed away. This is a guy who not only was director of the FBI, he was a war hero. I think he had a Bronze Star, he had a Purple Heart. This is the guy that had gone to Princeton, yet still went to Vietnam when others were trying to get out. And Donald Trump, after that happens, actually decides he is going to post that he is glad that Bob Mueller is dead.
- [57:13]
John McConnell
Yeah, that's. To have something like that come out of the president's office is just terrible. You know, we don't want to wish something like that on any of our politicians, regardless of what side of the fence you're on.
- [57:27]
Andy Beshear
Well, and I'm at least tired of people acting like this is a Christian man. He came on after Erica Kirk when they were doing the funeral for Charlie Kirk. And remember, she stepped up and basically lived the Golden Rule, which I want to give her credit for. I mean, in such a tough situation and we've lost friends in shootings, but this is her husband and she says, I forgive him. I forgive my enemies. And he came on and said, I don't. I hate my enemies. Basically the exact opposite of that Golden Rule.
- [57:59]
John McConnell
Yes. Well, in other news, as we continue to move through Kentucky with success after success, that keeps happening. I think there's an announcement up and coming.
- [58:11]
Andy Beshear
We had a big announcement today. We're filming this on Monday. And first, to set the stage. Over the last six years, we've had our first, second, third and fifth best years for economic development in our history. By far the most private sector investment, by far the most new jobs. And our average wage for a new job last year is almost $30 an hour. And so we're doing the work to try to make sure that American dream is still alive and well for people in Kentucky. We've had a very good January and February of this year. I think 1.4 billion between the two. We're going to have a huge march. So Toyota Manufacturing of Kentucky is a big employer in Georgetown, Kentucky. It's got about 10,000 employees. It's the largest Toyota facility in the world. And remember when I was on Fox News and we were talking about tariffs? I said it's more complicated than just the tariff back and forth. And they said, how? And I said, because the biggest Toyota plant in the world isn't in Japan. And they said, where is it? And I said Georgetown, Kentucky. Today they announced they're going to invest another $800 million into the plant, bringing their total investment to about 11 billion since 1986 or 87. So they're going to make the Camry hybrid there, which they're about to start production on. They're going to make the new all electric hybrid which I saw today. That's a real three row suv, not one of these small ones. And then they're going to make the RAV4 Hybrid in the same facility.
- [59:51]
John McConnell
Well, that's a big win for us and a big win for the state to see that continued development.
- [59:56]
Andy Beshear
All right, so we are in March Madness.
- [59:59]
John McConnell
Yes.
- [59:59]
Andy Beshear
Which hasn't been as good of news for Kentucky and our teams on the men's side though as of the moment, our women's teams, with the exception of Murray, are still alive.
- [60:10]
John McConnell
Had a hard first round game for Murray State. Glad to see them get there the 30 win season. But as of right now today we've got U of L has one going
- [60:19]
Andy Beshear
into the sweet 16, Jeff Walls, great guy. Their coach has taken a program that wasn't known for women's basketball and they've been to the Final Four several times and then run into the Buzzsaw. That was Connecticut in those years.
- [60:31]
John McConnell
And we're going to be pulling for Kentucky tonight when they play as of the airing.
- [60:34]
Michael Bennett
Yeah.
- [60:34]
Andy Beshear
Their center, she's an all American and has been one of the best players in college basketball.
- [60:41]
John McConnell
And we've got to give a little congratulations and a shout out to one of our previous podcast episodes with Coach Pitino advancing.
- [60:50]
Andy Beshear
That's right. And Coach Cal.
- [60:53]
John McConnell
That's right.
- [60:53]
Andy Beshear
So we've got both of those former UK and Pitino UofL coaches at their new schools going into the Sweet 16. Coach Cal pulled off the win against High Point and then I believe St. John's beat Kansas.
- [61:09]
John McConnell
Yes. I think with the last second shot. And it's so great when you see the replay. It's almost like Coach Pitino just knows it's going to happen. Like there's no excitement, no jumping up and down.
- [61:19]
Andy Beshear
It's just remember that's how he described the game against his son. That he just barely won. I think his son was coaching Xavier.
- [61:27]
John McConnell
Yeah. The night before we filmed.
- [61:29]
Andy Beshear
Yes. And he said, well, they played better, but we had better athletes. So I knew when we were close down the stretch, we were going to win.
- [61:42]
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