As I’ve mentioned roughly 126 times through the years, after my military career I worked in the Colorado Springs office of U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet for four years. It was just me and my direct boss in that office, with the occasional intern. It was intense work, and by the end I admit to being rather burned out, having handled more than 1,200 veteran cases alone for the senator. But it was a remarkable place to work. I liked my bosses all the way up the chain, and having spent some time with the senator, I came to know him as a kind and caring individual who was, as my Boston friends might say, wicked smart.

I mention that because a recent Colorado Politics article explores the possibility of a Bennet run for governor in the next cycle, as our current terrific governor is term limited. I’m tempted to once again leap atop my rickety soapbox to decry term limits, as I believe the people of Colorado and the U.S. should have the right to vote for whomever they wish, as often as they wish. If there are problems with incumbency advantages, there are ways to address those concerns without denying voters the full range of voting options.

But I digress…

In our Colorado Springs office, we kept a jar into which my boss or I would put a dollar every time a person came into the office and thought I was, in fact, Sen. Bennet. I’m a tad taller and half-a-decade older but have the same reddish hair and basic midwestern look, I guess, and quite often people would think I was the senator. Every year, we’d empty that jar to pay for taking the interns out to lunch and we could afford a nice lunch for them.

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Now, I haven’t spoken to Sen. Bennet since I left his employ back in 2014, and he certainly hasn’t asked for my two cents, but heck, my editor is a forgiving soul (Ed: to a point) and so I will jump onto the above-mentioned soapbox one more time in hopes Sen. Bennet will stay where he is.

So, it is no secret I admire Sen. Bennet (I could never, as a retired military officer, bring myself to call him “Michael” as he desired, I’m just too stuffy and formal) and I admit the idea of a “Governor Bennet” is an appealing one. But from my point of view, I very much hope he forgoes that office to remain in the Senate.

There will be no shortage of exceptional Democrats running for governor. As noted in the CoPo article, for the first time since the early 1900s all four of the top state-wide seats will be open, as all the incumbents are term-limited. That means, other than Polis of course, there are at least three high-level Dems looking for a new job come election time. Frankly, it is almost an embarrassment of riches, in that current AG Phil Weiser, Secretary of State Jena Griswold and Treasurer Dave Young would each be terrific candidates. This far out, I’m tilting toward Griswold, but any of the three would be great.

But wait, there’s more!

Former State House Speaker Andrew Romanoff, whom I know a little from my own 2008 campaign, would be outstanding, and would leap to the top of my list, should he declare. Though other names have been floated for governor, there are reasons for many to stay put. I’m betting U.S. Reps. Joe Neguse and Jason Crow (the later whom I know) will want to continue their rapid upward motion in the House Democratic Party leadership. And I suspect Denver Mayor Mike Johnston will, having just taken office as mayor, want to stick to Denver for a term or two. A very interesting possibility is former U.S. Sen. (and other offices) Ken Salazar (who was very kind to me in my 2008 run). There are hints he might return home to run for governor, and he would be a compelling and highly competitive candidate.

So, the bench is deep — really deep.

I can understand the appeal of the governor’s office. Our congressional folks, on both sides of the aisle, work tremendously hard (regardless of what you hear) and travel almost every week from Washington, D.C. to Colorado and back again. That is an exhausting line of work, and a job that lets you mostly stay home in Colorado is an appealing one, especially to a devoted family man like Sen. Bennet.

But I’m hoping he can resist the siren’s song of staying home for several reasons. First in my mind is Sen. Bennet is exactly the kind of person we need in a Senate that has, especially in the time since Jan. 20, ceded even more power to the executive branch, a highly dangerous activity. Sen. Bennet has been a strong voice in fighting to protect the separation of powers. Additionally, Sen. Bennet is rising in the ranks of the Senate Dems, and I would hope when Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York finally retires (please let it be soon), Sen. Bennet would be a strong candidate to take his place. I’m far more interested in getting things done than posturing, and Sen. Bennet is a workhorse, not a show horse.

A third and more political reason for Sen. Bennet to stay in the Senate is he is essentially unbeatable here in Colorado, and it is vital the Dems hold all the Senate seats they have as they try to pick up just a couple more seats in the next cycle to again claim the majority.

Sen. Bennet isn’t up for reelection until 2028, when he wouldn’t have to resign from the Senate to run for governor. But should he win in 2026, as noted in the article, he could, as governor, pick the person to finish out his term. If that scenario comes to pass, I’d hope he would pick Romanoff, but again, I hope he stays where he is.

Though I’m certainly partisan, I’m also a former political scientist who taught the presidency, Congress and the courts at the U.S. Air Force Academy for many years. Putting on my tattered and well-worn mortarboard cap, I do think Colorado has two remarkable and highly effective U.S. senators, and it would be a shame to lose either. Of course, Sen. Bennet must ultimately make the best decision he can, based on what is first and foremost best for him and his family.

I’m hoping he will continue to put up with the burdens of weekly travel and having to talk to Texas U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz from time to time. Colorado needs Sen. Bennet in the Senate, and it will be a very interesting campaign season either way.

Stay tuned.

Hal Bidlack is a retired professor of political science and a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel who taught more than 17 years at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs.