Michael Bennet

Michael Bennet is an American politician serving as the senior United States Senator from Colorado since 2009. He was appointed to the seat by Governor of Colorado Bill Ritter after Ken Salazar resigned to become the United States Secretary of the Interior in the Barack Obama administration, alongside Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton. Bennet is a member of the Democratic Party and has worked closely with other prominent Democrats, including Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer. He has also collaborated with Republican senators, such as Lamar Alexander and Susan Collins, on various legislative initiatives.

● Early Life and Education

Michael Bennet was born in New Delhi, India, to Douglas J. Bennet and Susanne Bennet. His father was a United States Department of State official who worked with Henry Kissinger during the Richard Nixon administration, and later served as the President of Wesleyan University. Bennet spent his early childhood in Washington, D.C. and India, before moving to Colorado with his family. He graduated from Wesleyan University in 1987, where he was a member of the Psi Upsilon fraternity, and later earned his Juris Doctor degree from Yale Law School in 1993, alongside Hillary Clinton and Bill Clinton. During his time at Yale, Bennet was a member of the Yale Law Journal and worked with prominent legal scholars, including Guido Calabresi and Harold Hongju Koh.

● Career

Before entering politics, Bennet worked as a law clerk for Judge José A. Cabranes of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, alongside other notable clerks, including Sonia Sotomayor and Stephen Breyer. He later became the Chief of Staff to Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper, who would later become the Governor of Colorado and a 2020 United States presidential candidate. In this role, Bennet worked closely with other city officials, including Denver City Council members Peggy Lehmann and Elbra Wedgeworth. Bennet also served as the Superintendent of Denver Public Schools from 2005 to 2009, where he implemented various education reform initiatives, including the No Child Left Behind Act, alongside Margaret Spellings and Arne Duncan.

● U.S. Senate

Bennet was appointed to the United States Senate in 2009 by Governor of Colorado Bill Ritter, following the resignation of Ken Salazar. He was sworn into office on January 21, 2009, alongside other newly elected senators, including Kirsten Gillibrand and Al Franken. Bennet has served on several committees, including the United States Senate Committee on Finance, the United States Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, and the United States Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, where he has worked with other prominent senators, including Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. He has also been a member of the Senate Democratic Caucus and has worked closely with other Democratic leaders, including Harry Reid and Dick Durbin.

● Political Positions

Bennet has taken positions on a range of issues, including health care reform, climate change, and immigration reform. He has supported the Affordable Care Act and has worked to improve the Medicare and Medicaid programs, alongside Kathleen Sebelius and Sylvia Mathews Burwell. Bennet has also been a strong advocate for renewable energy and has supported efforts to address climate change, including the Paris Agreement, alongside John Kerry and Angela Merkel. He has also worked on immigration reform initiatives, including the DREAM Act, alongside Lindsey Graham and Marco Rubio.

● Personal Life

Bennet is married to Susan Daggett, a natural resources lawyer, and they have three daughters together. He is a member of the Episcopal Church and has served on the board of the Nature Conservancy, alongside other prominent environmentalists, including Al Gore and Jane Goodall. Bennet has also been involved in various charitable organizations, including the Denver Museum of Nature & Science and the Boettcher Foundation, which was founded by Charles Boettcher.

● Elections

Bennet was first elected to a full term in the United States Senate in 2010, defeating Ken Buck in the general election, with the support of prominent Democrats, including Barack Obama and Joe Biden. He was re-elected in 2016, defeating Darryl Glenn in the general election, with the support of other notable Democrats, including Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders. Bennet has also been mentioned as a potential candidate for the 2020 United States presidential election, alongside other prominent Democrats, including Kamala Harris and Pete Buttigieg. However, he ultimately decided not to run, citing his commitment to his work in the Senate and his desire to focus on the needs of his constituents in Colorado.