Crafted with Colorado veterans, platform focuses on increasing early support, smoother transitions, and stronger coordination
Denver, CO — Today, gubernatorial candidate Michael Bennet released his plan to make Colorado the best state in the country for veterans, military families, and communities by making sure military and veterans support systems actually work for the individuals they serve.
Michael worked directly with veterans across the state to craft this platform, focusing on bolstering support systems and prioritizing stability for veterans, military families, and communities. The platform released today incorporates their priorities, and the campaign will continue to solicit feedback from veterans across the state.
“Veterans and military families deserve the support they have earned, and a system that provides stability and predictability, yet too often our system falls short,” said Michael. “I’m honored to have worked with veterans across our state to craft a platform that will make Colorado a place where veterans and military families are truly supported. By partnering with veterans in Colorado and committing to fixing our broken systems, we can be an example for the rest of the nation.”
Colorado is home to hundreds of thousands of veterans, tens of thousands of active-duty, Reserve, and National Guard service members, and some of the most critical military and space missions in the nation. Yet, many families and veterans face navigating the damaged system alone when finding housing, jobs, schools, or healthcare more frequently and under tighter timelines than most families.
Michael’s “A Stronger Colorado for Veterans, Military Families, and Defense Communities” platform outlines a coordinated, statewide approach to improve outcomes for those who serve while strengthening communities across Colorado:
- Start Support Earlier and Make Transitions Work: Michael will ensure military families receive information on housing, schools, child care, health care, and education benefits as soon as possible, reducing disruption and strengthening community integration. He will also prioritize state-level programs to ensure military experience consistently converts into education credits and workforce training to help servicemembers smoothly transition into civilian life with economic mobility.
- Make Benefits and Services Easy to Navigate and Trust: Michael will strengthen coordination with county Veteran Service Officers, expand partnerships with accredited Veteran Service Organizations, and modernize the benefits system to improve transparency and accountability.
- Strengthen Stability for Military Families: Michael will improve state services for transitioning families, enhance coordination with federal agencies, and protect Veterans Community Living Centers by prioritizing staffing stability, funding, and consistent, high-quality long-term care.
- Protect and Grow Colorado’s Military Missions: Michael’s plan prioritizes proactive coordination with military missions to ensure Colorado remains competitive, mission-ready, and ready for future growth.
“Michael Bennet understands that supporting veterans and military families isn’t just about coordinating what already exists—it’s about whether the state is organized in a way that actually matches how people move through these systems,” said Veteran Rob Devall. “He brought federal experience to this effort and took the time to engage veterans, military members, families, and community partners to understand where state approaches fall short, not just where handoffs break down. This platform is grounded in that reality. It focuses on making concrete changes to how Colorado shows up—starting earlier, improving accountability, and aligning responsibility across agencies—so systems perform better during transitions. When we get this right for veterans and military families, the same systems end up working better for everyone, and communities across Colorado are stronger because of it.”
“Michael Bennet has gone beyond policy—he’s truly listened, learned, and understood the full journey of a veteran,” said Billie Baber, Veteran and Veteran Advocate. “He’s committed to supporting veterans every step of the way, from being stationed in Colorado to transitioning out of military service and ultimately making Colorado their home. He recognizes the importance of reaching veterans and their families early in that process to ensure they have access to the care, resources, and support needed for a successful transition. By providing that early connection, he helps reduce the risk of veterans experiencing hopelessness or homelessness, strengthening both their stability and our communities.”
“Service members are too often left in the dark about their options when leaving the military, and navigating the VA for healthcare and benefits can be challenging at best. Michael recognized this gap and brought together experts from across the community to develop a real, workable roadmap for Colorado veterans and military families,” said Brad Cummings, Senior Partner at Valor Veterans Law. “Supporting veterans isn’t about politics. It’s about responsibility. It’s about follow-through. I’m proud to support a candidate who listens to those doing the work, understands the stakes, and is committed to building systems that actually serve the people who served us.”
“Colorado’s veterans represent more than 400,000 Coloradans, and our state’s workforce reflects a deep and enduring military presence. Supporting veterans, service members, and their families must be a Colorado priority, and Michael Bennet has made clear that it will be a priority of his administration,” said Parker White, National Security and Veterans policy expert. “The working group he assembled as part of his campaign, along with his deliberate outreach to the Colorado veteran community, demonstrates a genuine commitment to listening and understanding the challenges veterans face. That level of engagement is a welcome change and a unique strength of Michael Bennet’s platform on veterans’ affairs
