Colorado gubernatorial candidate and current sitting AG Phil Weiser was in Alamosa recently for a town hall on the Adams State University campus. This race is predicted to be a head-to-head contest with opponent Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet and a general consensus that the man who wins is the next governor. Weiser made time for a conversation with the Valley Courier about 30 minutes before the town hall started.

ALAMOSA — Colorado gubernatorial candidate and current Attorney General Phil Weiser has been to the San Luis Valley so often during the two terms he’s been in office that people who may not appear to be politically inclined will still recognize him on sight. As was also obvious Friday morning, they will call him Phil, which is how he introduces himself to others.

Weiser says developing that kind of relationship with people across the state is a cornerstone of his approach to holding a public office. He also thinks that it’s one of several factors that will make him a strong governor.

“Democracies require leaders who show up and listen,” he says. “I’ve been to the most rural, red counties in the state. I’ve listened to people. They’ve asked me questions about what I believe, and I tell them and explain why I believe the way I do. This is what democracies require.”

There is a growing tide of distrust in the nation, he continues, and one of the most effective ways to fight the tide is“…to show up. If you want the trust of the people, you show up. Everywhere.

“There are people who don’t even know me yet and voters ask, can I trust this person? Will he really fight for me? Does he really care about me and my life? And I say back to them, look at my track record. You’ll see the answer is yes.

“That’s what I’m telling ASU students here today. That’s what I’ll tell the Tribal Nations . That’s what I’ll tell the farmers in Grand Junction and that is what I told the Muslim community when Bennet declined to appear on the same stage with me and declined an interview. Showing up is how you build trust and I show up every time. That’s why I’m in this work. I’m here to serve people. That’s why I do what I do.”

When asked about the importance of the next governor being well versed on water issues, Weiser responds with an emphatic yes.

Being educated on the issue is crucial for the governor, he says. “If you look at what Michael Bennet has said about climate change or the water situation in Colorado, you’ll find very few specifics. When I’m governor, we’ll have a governor leading on water like we haven’t had in a long time.

“Water is our most precious resource and right now we are in a very perilous moment. The best case scenario in times like these is everyone working together. All of us meeting all of us. Those are the things that will defeat a group like RWR that is just looking to make a quick buck, even if it damages an entire valley.

“Don’t get me wrong,” he adds.” There are going to be changes. There have to be. I’m excited about the Rye Resurgence Project. Rye uses a lot less water than barley and that is the kind of innovation we need. We have to keep adapting. And that’s a change where I want the voters to know ‘I’m behind you’.”

Finally, AG Weiser has been enormously successful ln litigations and negotiations advocating for Colorado, from opioid settlements to stopping the merger of Albertsons and Krogers to restoring Americorps and, more recently, challenging the Trump administration on withholding funding for key projects and benefits already appropriated by Congress.

When asked how he sees that background serving him as governor, he says, “The two most important positions in state government are being attorney general and governor. The work of the governor is moral clarity. So, what does a governor say when federal green energy initiatives are cut or immigration comes into the state or SNAP benefits are reduced?

“A governor has to be able to fight back for his state. There are those in this race who believe that you can negotiate with a bully to get what you want. I disagree. When a bully comes after you, you fight back. And that’s what I’ve done successfully, many times.”

As the town hall begins to fill, Weiser closes with a last thought. ”We have a lot of challenges and have to address them all. But I plan to lead with courage and problem solving spirit. I believe in Colorado.”

He suggests voters take a look at his 100 page long Colorado Blueprint, which illustrates better how he plans to govern. That can be found at https://philforcolorado.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Phil-Weiser-Colorado-Blueprint.pdf