Colorado Republican Joe O'Dea has won endorsements in the U.S. Senate primary from more than a dozen current and former elected officials and conservative activists, his campaign announced.
“We’re building a winning coalition,” O'Dea, a first-time candidate, said in a statement. “We have a consistent, conservative message that is resonating with Republican and unaffiliated voters. We’re gathering support from across this state and I am especially proud to see so many rural leaders join the team."
The wealthy owner of a Denver-based construction company is running against state Rep. Ron Hanks, R-Cañon City, in the June primary for the chance to challenge Democratic U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet.
Fremont County Commissioner Kevin Grantham, a former state Senate president, called O'Dea the "only conservative in this race" who can beat Bennet, who is seeking a third full term.
"With decades of experience as the boss of a construction firm that employs hundreds, he is the outsider we need to shake up Washington D.C.," Grantham said in a statement. "Joe's not going to the Senate for his next paycheck or to grow his Twitter following — he's going to get the job done."
Others who endorsed O'Dea include former State Treasurer Mark Hillman, Assistant Senate Minority Leader John Cooke, state Sens. Rob Woodward and Jim Smallwood, former state Sen. Greg Brophy, Arapahoe County Commissioner Nancy Sharpe, Mineral County Commissioner Ramona Weber, Fremont County Commissioner Debbie Bell and Aurora City Councilman Dustin Zvonek. In addition, Independence Institute President Jon Caldara and political operatives Laura Carno and Michael Fields are backing O'Dea.
"It's time for conservatives to unite behind Joe O'Dea," said Brophy, who added that the candidate's background as a business owner means he understands the difficulties facing the agriculture industry.
Several of the endorsers said O'Dea is the candidate best suited to go up against Bennet.
“Joe has an inspiring personal story and he is Republicans’ best chance to take the fight to Bennet and Biden," said Carno.
Biden won Colorado by 14 points in 2020, but Republicans are confident that the president's sinking approval ratings and rising inflation could make the state competitive this fall.
O'Dea, who petitioned his way onto the primary ballot, had put nearly $650,000 into his own campaign through the end of March, accounting for nearly half of his total fundraising, according to campaign finance reports, while Hanks brought in just short of $60,000 through the first quarter, including about $30,000 of his own money. Hanks was the only Senate candidate to emerge from the Republican state assembly in April, where he outpolled five other hopefuls.
Bennet, meanwhile, finished the quarter with more than $6 million on hand after raising more than $11 million since his last election in 2016. He's unopposed for the Democratic nomination.
Voters start receiving mail ballots in three weeks and have until 7 p.m. on June 28 to return them to county clerks.
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