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Sen. Michael Bennet told constituents at a town hall in Grand Junction on Wednesday that propaganda and cost of living were among the greatest threats facing the state and country, but that they owed it to the next generation not to lose hope.
Hundreds of attendees gathered at the Asteria Theatre on the Colorado Mesa University campus. Some asked Bennet about the chaos in Washington, D.C., and its effect on Western Slope residents, which they largely laid at the feet of the Trump administration.
An early question related to public lands. An attendee expressed concern over “slashes” happening at the federal level of the government and loss of environmental protections. Bennet said protecting public lands for the next generation is a “moral obligation.”
One of the largest public land actions under the Biden administration was the Thompson Divide withdrawal, which blocked hundreds of thousands of acres in the Western Slope from mining eligibility — the result of years of work from a coalition that included conservationists, ranchers and more.
“I have heard some potential suggestions that Thompson Divide could be reopened,” Bennet told the Aspen Daily News after the town hall. “We’ve obviously told people in the administration that we think that would be a terrible idea, and that the local communities in Colorado have spent more than a decade and a half fighting to protect Thompson Divide.”
Former Interior Secretary Deb Halaand approved the Thompson Divide administrative withdrawal in April 2024, removing 221,898 acres of USDA Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management land from eligibility for new mining, mineral and geothermal leases for a 20-year period, subject to valid existing rights.
Bennet stressed to the crowd that public lands protection in the state has bipartisan support, as was evidenced by the creation of the coalition behind efforts to protect the Thompson Divide, and more.
“It is my view that the vast majority of Coloradans share your view,” he said to the constituent. “There are extremely few people in our state who have an ideology around the idea of selling off our public land or allowing them to be exploited for certain natural resources, and we’re going to fight to protect them till the end.”
In the Senate, Bennet has called for the reinstatement of fired Forest Service workers and delivered a floor speech on the heightened wildfire risk following the loss of those workers.
“We’re trying to point out to these guys that thousands of the people they fired are Forest Service personnel, public servants that have red cards that allow them to fight fires,” Bennet said. “I think we can build a movement of Americans that are saying we didn’t sign up for this, and we need to move past this. And in the meantime, we’re going to do everything we can to push back in the moment.”
The crowd’s attitude toward Bennet was largely favorable, though some questioned Bennet’s and the Democratic Party’s lack of efforts to block actions by President Donald Trump and his administration.
“I am furious with the Democratic Party, because, in my view, our inability to offer a compelling vision and articulate it to the American people has resulted in Donald Trump being elected, not just once, but twice,” he said.
He said Democratic Party leaders should be asking themselves why they failed to deliver a “compelling cause” and build a coalition.
Bennet advocated for a “21st century education system” that would equip high school graduates with skills to earn a living wage instead of the Biden administration approach that sought to forgive student loan debt accrued by college students. He spoke of his support for a universal health care system — which was met with applause — a “functional” immigration system and an energy system that would allow for independence and lead the climate battle.
Bennet recently announced his bid to run for Colorado governor in 2026, joining the crowded race for the office that Gov. Jared Polis will leave due to term limits. He did not talk about the campaign during the town hall, apart from addressing an attendee who asked why he would pursue the seat. Bennet said he was searching for the position in which he could make the “biggest difference.”
After the town hall, Bennet said he could continue public lands protection work if elected to statewide office.
“I’ve been really, really pleased to work with communities all over Colorado to do everything we can do to protect public lands from D.C., and I will continue to do that as Colorado’s governor,” he said.
Bennet, 60, was appointed to the Senate seat in 2009. Since then, he has won three elections to retain it.