Phil Weiser

Philip Jacob Weiser was born on May 10, 1968. He is the 39th Attorney General of Colorado, serving his second term since 2019. Weiser is a member of the Democratic Party and became the first Democratic Colorado Attorney General in 15 years when he took office in January 2019.

Before his election as Attorney General, Weiser served as Dean of the University of Colorado Law School from 2011 to 2016. He is currently the Hatfield Professor of Law and Telecommunications at the university and serves as executive director and founder of the Silicon Flatirons Center for Law, Technology, and Entrepreneurship.

Education and Early Career

Weiser came to Colorado in 1994 to clerk for Judge David Ebel on the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals. From 1995 to 1996, he clerked for U.S. Supreme Court Justices Byron R. White and Ruth Bader Ginsburg. He earned his law degree from New York University .

Political Experience

Federal Service: Weiser served in the Clinton Administration's Justice Department, where he worked on antitrust policy in the telecommunications industry. He later held senior positions under President Barack Obama, including deputy assistant attorney general in the DOJ's Antitrust Division and senior advisor for technology and innovation to the director of the National Economic Council in 2010.

State Office: Weiser was elected Colorado Attorney General in 2018, defeating Republican George Brauchler on November 6, 2018. He was re-elected in 2022, defeating Republican challenger John Kellner with over 54% of votes cast.

Notable Achievements: As Attorney General, Weiser has championed reproductive rights, LGBTQ rights, and voting rights in state and federal courts. He argued the landmark case Colorado Department of State v. Baca before the U.S. Supreme Court, affirming states' exclusive authority to appoint and remove presidential electors when they violate their pledges. His administration has also secured millions in settlement funds for natural resource damages and led efforts to protect Colorado's land, air, and water.