Phil Weiser projected to win Democratic primary for Colorado governor, defeat Sen. Michael Bennet

Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser is the projected winner in the pivotal race to be the Democratic nominee for governor in Colorado.     

Just before 8 p.m. MT and with 77% of the votes counted, Weiser had 54.7% of the vote and Sen. Michael Bennet had 45.3% of the vote.

Weiser is term-limited out of the Attorney General’s office and running for governor for the first time. This was also Bennet’s first run at the state’s highest office.

During the busy primary election cycle election cycle, Weiser tried to capitalize on a wave of anti-establishment sentiment by framing Bennet as the political insider, despite Weiser having been in office for 8 years.

Television viewers were subjected to numerous attack ads including many about the Weiser-Bennet contest. CBS Colorado Political Reporter Shaun Boyd said in a Reality Check that the ads picked on each candidate in various way for not having strong enough “anti-Trump credentials.” Boyd also reported that after entering the race, Weiser accepted tens of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from 68 lawyers whose firms engaged with his AG’s office. His opponent claimed that created a conflict of interest.

In November, whoever wins will face the Republican nominee elected in Tuesday night’s Colorado GOP primary. State Sen. Barb Kirkmeyer, state Rep. Scott Bottoms and Victor Marx are the candidates in that race. The nominees will also be up against former Congressman Greg Lopez, who left the Republican Party in January to run for governor as an unaffiliated candidate.

A Democrat has been in the governor’s office in Colorado for the past 20 years.

Election Day is Nov. 3.