WASHINGTON — Former Denver Public Schools superintendent Michael Bennet became Colorado’s newest Senator today, sworn in by Vice President Joseph Biden in a brief capitol ceremony surrounded by family, friends, and many of his new Senate colleagues.
The moment also converted Mark Udall – who has been in office just 16 days – into Colorado’s senior Senator – underscoring the challenge facing two men who together have the least seniority of any Senate delegation in the country.
“It’s been a terrific day,” said Bennet, who spent much of it meeting with his staff, including his new chief of staff, Jeff Lane, who served the same role for the man Bennet is replacing, Ken Salazar.
“The most important challenge in the next few months will be to get the economy rolling again and that’s what I plan to focus on,” Bennet said.
Bennet, 44, becomes the youngest member of the Senate, but arrives with an impressive resume.
He has been a lawyer, businessman, chief-of-staff to Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper and superintendent of Denver schools.
A resident of Colorado since 1997, Bennet is no stranger to the nation’s capital.
His father spent a career in Washington politics as a top aide for two senators, staff director for the Senate Budget Committee and is past president of National Public Radio.
Bennet’s mother, Susanne Bennet, was college friends with former Secretary of State Madeline Albright. His brother James is the editor of The Atlantic Monthly.
Bennet arrives in the Senate having already missed a critical vote on the financial bailout and with work on the massive economic stimulus well under way.
Both underscore the pressure he will face to quickly come up to speed on a dizzying array of issues.
Colorado’s new Senator is hoping to get a seat on the Agriculture Committee, for example, a subject he conceded he knows very little about.
“It’s one of the areas where I have most to learn,” Bennet said.He was named by Gov. Bill Ritter earlier this month to replace Salazar, who has been appointed Secretary of Interior. Bennet, who has never sought elective office, will fill the remainder of Salazar’s term, which expires in 2010. He said he intends to seek election to the seat.
Bennet is married to environmental attorney Susan Daggett. They have three daughters.
