Sen. Bennet meets voters at open house

DENVER - Colorado's newest senator met with voters at an open house in Denver on Sunday.

Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet has said meeting voters is his top job as he takes over for Salazar. Bennet will have to run for re-election in 2010, but the former Denver Public Schools chief is an unknown to many voters. The event Sunday afternoon was Bennet's first Colorado appearance since taking office.

"It's wonderful, I can't believe there's so many people," Bennet said. "It's nice to see friends that I've had in all different walks of life; in the private sector, in the school system, working with the mayor. The mayor is here, which is great. So, it's really nice."

Bennet was sworn in last week as a replacement for fellow Democrat Ken Salazar, who became Secretary of the Interior.

Bennet was chosen by the governor, but many in Colorado don't know him. The new senator held the three-hour open house Sunday afternoon at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. Admission was free.