U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet isn't the only top Colorado Democrat who sounds fearful about President Biden as the party's presidential nominee.
Why it matters: The apprehension — and silence from previous supporters — is deafening in a blue state like Colorado, where Biden won by 14 percentage points in 2020.
- And some political strategists suggest that Biden's name at the top of the ticket will lead to Democratic losses downballot.
State of play: One member of the state's seven Democrats in Congress, U.S. Rep. Dianna DeGette (D-Denver), is vocally supporting Biden, 81, after the first presidential debate.
- On the other side, U.S. Rep. Brittany Pettersen , Democratic National Committee delegate Joe Salazar , a former state lawmaker, congressional candidate Adam Frisch and a couple of current state lawmakers have said Biden needs to be replaced.
- Bennet is the most notable name to sound the alarm, saying Biden can't beat Trump and will hurt support for other Democrats.
Between the lines: Most party leaders are avoiding the question but declining to vocally back Biden at the moment, according to statements made to Axios and other media outlets.
- The list of local Democrats in this camp include U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper ; U.S. Reps. Yadira Caraveo and Joe Neguse; Gov. Jared Polis ; and Denver Mayor Mike Johnston.
- Others declined to comment or didn't respond to Axios Denver inquiries, including U.S. Rep. Jason Crow; Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser; Secretary of State Jena Griswold; and state Treasurer Dave Young.
What they're saying: Through a spokesperson, Johnston told Axios he's "confident [Biden] will make the best decision for the future of our country."
- Hickenlooper decided not to take a stance, telling reporters : "You know Joe Biden is a fighter and the more you attack him, the more dug in he'll get. And I think part of the process is to give him space to really, you know, reconsider what is best for the country."
The other side: In a statement, DeGette called the talk of replacing Biden "a waste of time and potentially dangerous for Democrats to spend the next few months wringing our hands trying to find an alternative path forward."
By the numbers: Biden's support among Colorado voters began slipping even before the debate, according to a new poll from Democratic firm Global Strategy Group. In a presidential poll taken June 17-24, Biden holds a 42% to 36% advantage against former President Trump, a considerable slide from 2020.
- 42% of registered voters view Biden favorably, compared to 55% unfavorable.
- Trump's favorability rating is 38% with 58% unfavorable.
- The margin of error on the June 17-24 poll is plus-or-minus 3.5 points.
The intrigue: If the current polls hold, Democrats could lose upwards of a dozen state House and Senate seats, as well as the 8th Congressional District and potential ballot measures, progressive Colorado strategist Deep Singh Badhesha warned in a social media post.
The bottom line: "Colorado Democrats may feel insulated from a disastrous Biden ticket, but we are NOT!" Badhesha wrote on X .
Editor's note: This story was updated to reflect that U.S. Rep. Brittany Pettersen on Friday morning called on Biden to end his re-election bid.
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