Denver, CO — In case you missed it, NBC News wrote about the tightening Colorado Senate race and the Democrats' desperate attempts at redefining Republican Senate nominee, Joe O'Dea.
See a recap of the coverage below:
On Democrat Meddling:
"Democrats eager to engineer an easier re-election for Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., spent millions of dollars during the Republican primary to brand Joe O’Dea as a Joe Biden-loving liberal while establishing the far-right candidate as the unquestionable conservative."
"The GOP primary meddling came mainly from Democratic Colorado, a group that according to Federal Election Commission records was bankrolled by Senate Majority PAC, which is aligned with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y."
"The group’s ads contrasted the moderate O’Dea with state Rep. Ron Hanks, a 2020 election denier who had acknowledged being at the rally that preceded the deadly Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. O’Dea, though he has said he voted Trump in 2016 and 2020, has also said that Biden won legitimately and that he hopes Trump doesn’t run again in 2024."
"Other anti-O’Dea messaging during the primary was harder to trace, including a direct mail attack that labeled him as 'pro-abortion' but did not disclose who paid for the advertisement. O’Dea links to a copy of the mailer on his website and has blamed Democrats."
Responses to Democrat Meddling:
"'I think it did backfire on them,' O’Dea said in an interview with NBC News this week, referring to Democrats' involvement in the GOP contest. 'I started out as a moderate during the primary. That’s where they framed me. I was pro-abortion. Now all of a sudden I’m not pro-abortion. I’m MAGA man. I mean, it’s all over the place.'"
"'O’Dea clearly has Bennet and national Democrats running scared,' NRSC spokesperson Chris Hartline said."
"'It’s too cute by half,' said Ted Trimpa, a longtime Democratic strategist in the state. There’s 'a real sense of worry,' Trimpa added, 'because once they vote that way, we’re having to convince these folks to vote the other way.'"
"Adrian Felix, secretary for the Democratic Party of Denver, called the strategy a 'mistake.' 'Maybe that money could have been better spent on helping candidates up and down the ballot — for actual Democrats,' added Felix, who met with O’Dea at an LGBTQ event last weekend and said he appreciated his attendance."
What They're Saying:
Henry J. Gomez, @HenryJGomez: "New: Democrats spent money to brand Joe O'Dea as a moderate in #COSen, hoping to draw an easier, right-wing rival for Bennet. But O'Dea won and now the Dems are scrambling to redefine him. Abortion rights are front and center in #COSen, where the GOP nominee opposes outright bans but favors restrictions that aren't on the books in Colorado. Bennet and Dems say that makes him out of step w/the state."
NBC Politics, @NBCPolitics: "Democrats reinforced Joe O'Dea's moderate credentials while trying to boost a right-wing election denier in the primary. Now he poses a threat to Sen. Michael Bennet this fall."
Learn more about O’Dea’s campaign here.
Original source can be found here
