Republican U.S. Senate candidate Joe O'Dea has released a Spanish-language radio ad narrated by his wife, whose grandparents immigrated to the United States from Mexico in the early part of the last century, his campaign said.
O'Dea, a wealthy construction company owner and one of seven GOP candidates running against Democratic U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, said the ad articulates his belief that Coloradans with Latin American backgrounds are responding to the Republican Party's message.
“The Hispanic and Latino community in the United States is truly a beautiful blend of cultures, customs, and traditions that has brought vibrancy to the American story,” O’Dea said in a statement.
“For decades, I’ve gotten to work with first- and second-generation immigrants from across Latin America, and I truly believe these hard-working, faithful people are starting to hear and respond to the principles the Republican Party stands for — freedom, individual responsibility, and family."
A spokesman for O'Dea said the campaign is spending more than $13,000 to air the 60-second ad statewide on Spanish-language radio stations.
“Nobody knows hard work like the Hispanic and Latino community of Colorado," said Celeste O'Dea, whose grandparents emigrated in the early 1900s from Michoacán and Penjamo in Mexico, in a statement.
Speaking Spanish in the ad, O'Dea introduces her husband as a carpenter whose construction company employs more than 300 people and says he's running to cut wasteful spending, be a voice for working people and keep communities safe.
"Joe O’Dea will unite our community around the traditional values that keep us strong," she says in Spanish, according to a translation of the ad provided by the campaign. "My name is Celeste O'Dea, and I know these things are true because Joe O'Dea is my husband. Joe will be a senator we can all be proud of."
O'Dea, the lone Bennet challenger seeking the GOP nomination by petition, is awaiting word from the Colorado Secretary of State's Office whether he will qualify for the June 28 primary ballot. The other Republicans hoping to face Bennet are going through the caucus and assembly process, which culminates on April 9 at the State GOP assembly in Colorado Springs.
While Bennet has yet to his the airwaves with TV or radio ads this cycle, a year ago his campaign released both English and Spanish versions of a digital ad touting his role establishing an expanded child tax credit.
According to Pew Research Center, Latino residents made up roughly 16% of Colorado's eligible voter population in 2020.
Here's the script of O'Dea's ad, provided by his campaign:
"Joe O'Dea es un hombre de carácter y está corriendo para el Senado de los Estados Unidos. Joe fue adoptado al nacer y criado en Denver. Y hoy Joe es un carpintero y su empresa de construcción ahora emplea a más de 300 personas; él conoce el valor del trabajo duro. Joe está corriendo para el Senado para reducir el gasto derrochador, ser una voz para la gente trabajadora, y mantener a nuestras comunidades seguras. Joe O’Dea unirá a nuestra comunidad en torno a los valores tradicionales que nos mantienen fuertes. Mi nombre es Celeste O'Dea y sé que estas cosas son ciertas porque Joe O’Dea es mi marido. Joe será un senador del que todos podemos estar orgullosos. Por más información, visite a JoeODea.com. Joe O’Dea luchará por la gente."
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