As Federico Peña considered the two most prominent Democratic candidates for Colorado governor recently, the former Denver mayor called U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet an “extraordinary public servant.”

Matching Peña’s praise, fellow former Mayor Michael Hancock hailed Bennet’s chief rival for the job, Attorney General Phil Weiser, as “a tremendous attorney general” and “one of the smartest people I know.”

The compliments, however, highlight what many Democrats see as a good problem to have as the primary race comes into focus: Peña, despite his high praise for Bennet, wants Weiser to win the job. Vice versa for Hancock , who’s really rooting for Bennet.

The two high-wattage candidates have effectively cleared the field of other potential high-profile Democratic candidates in the race to suc

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