Left to proper: Michael Bennet and Joe O’Dea. Bennet is working for his third time period within the Senate towards GOP candidate Joe O’Dea who’s the one Republican nominee in a aggressive race not endorsed by former president Trump.
Invoice Clark/CQ-Roll Name, Inc through Getty Photographs;David Zalubowski/AP
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Invoice Clark/CQ-Roll Name, Inc through Getty Photographs;David Zalubowski/AP
Left to proper: Michael Bennet and Joe O’Dea. Bennet is working for his third time period within the Senate towards GOP candidate Joe O’Dea who’s the one Republican nominee in a aggressive race not endorsed by former president Trump.
Invoice Clark/CQ-Roll Name, Inc through Getty Photographs;David Zalubowski/AP
Democrats have been feeling extra optimistic about their prospects on this fall’s midterm elections these days, however Republicans want to the Rocky Mountains to drag an upset of their marketing campaign to flip management of the Senate.
GOP leaders hope their nominee in Colorado — development firm CEO Joe O’Dea — can flip the blue seat purple. He is a uncommon Republican who affirms that President Biden received the 2020 election, and thinks somebody aside from Trump ought to lead the get together in 2024.
“I’ll marketing campaign for someone else and we’ll transfer the nation ahead. and that is the place I have been.” O’Dea mentioned, mentioning Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo as options to Trump.
Of the roughly dozen aggressive Senate races this election cycle O’Dea is the one Republican candidate not endorsed by Trump. Within the major, he defeated right-wing election denier Ron Hanks — although Democratic teams within the state tried to raise Hank’s candidacy.
The primary-time candidate sticks to a centrist message. “On the entire, we have to do away with this partisanship that is simply conserving us from placing good insurance policies in place that transfer America ahead. And that is why I am working. I am unbiased minded. I am a conservative, however on the similar time we have to do what’s proper for Colorado, we have to do what’s proper for America.”
A giant a part of O’Dea’s technique is outreach to Latino voters, who may very well be the second largest voting block within the state. At a Hispanic cultural occasion in Denver, O’Dea drank a Mexican lager and acquired his spouse earrings from a neighborhood vendor after speaking to NPR about his pitch to voters.
In contrast to the majority of his get together, O’Dea backs protections for Dreamers and helps a path to citizenship for thousands and thousands of undocumented employees. He says Congress ought to approve laws that addresses each border safety and authorized standing for immigrants. However he harassed Hispanic voters inform him they’re targeted on the identical issues as all Coloradans.
“They’re frightened in regards to the value of fuel and this document crime that is taking on town that is spot on their thoughts proper now,” he mentioned.
O’Dea insists if his get together takes management and there is a slim majority that he will not vote in lockstep with GOP leaders in relation to points like abortion and immigration. “If they need my vote, then they’ll need to earn it. And they’ll have to maneuver issues round to be sure that I can honor my phrase,” O’Dea mentioned.
Senate Minority Chief Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., has praised O’Dea’s marketing campaign. With different GOP candidates underperforming within the polls in aggressive races in Pennsylvania, Arizona and Georgia, there’s a shut eye out for whether or not the Senate Management Fund, the tremendous PAC aligned with McConnell, will make investments sources within the state.
Over tea at a neighborhood espresso store in Denver, incumbent Michael Bennet, who retains a big benefit in fundraising heading into the autumn, pushes again on the notion that O’Dea is a reasonable who can compete right here.
“That’s that’s the nationwide media’s interpretation of what is going on on on this race,” Bennet mentioned.
Inflation, housing and abortion are key points in Colorado
Bennet spent a lot of August touring the state touting laws Democrats handed to decrease prescription drug costs and put money into local weather applications. He agrees along with his opponent that voters are very targeted on inflation.
“What persons are having to pay for meals and gasoline is a problem. However I believe that my sense is that persons are truly seeing Washington start to work once more,” Bennet mentioned. “And after the chaos of 4 years of Donald Trump, that is actually welcome.”
Most buyers and distributors NPR spoke with on the last week of the Inexperienced Valley Ranch summer time farmer’s market north of downtown Denver do not know who’s working in November’s Senate race. However that they had sturdy emotions about what issues for his or her vote this fall.
Kettle corn vendor Leon Smith mentioned “housing and jobs” are his priorities. Smith voted for former President Trump, however he instructed NPR he would not really feel compelled to solid his vote for both get together this fall.
“Proper now, I’d simply relatively maintain it,” he mentioned. “I’d simply relatively maintain it till I am assured. And I see what which every get together is doing proper now. Every get together is simply nonetheless doing tit for tat. They don’t seem to be dealing with no enterprise.”
For Linda Wilson, who leans Democrat, one situation is prime of thoughts — abortion. “After I was youthful, I had the selection, as a result of I used to be pregnant earlier than I received married. It was a selection. It wasn’t an choice that I’d have chosen for myself. However I had that choice,” she mentioned.
Abortion could also be O’Dea’s largest problem within the race
The Republican backs some abortion rights, however he is working in a state with an extended historical past of defending abortion entry. The state codified its protections this yr — a regulation O’Dea opposed. He additionally voted for a poll measure in 2020 that banned abortions after 22 weeks with no exceptions. That was soundly defeated.
O’Dea sidestepped whether or not these positions put him out of step with a majority of Colorado voters. As a substitute he emphasised when he thinks abortion ought to be authorized: “I imagine, the primary 5 months, the mom has the selection. After that, there ought to be some exceptions rape, incest, lifetime of the mom.” However ODea mentioned he helps Trump’s Supreme Courtroom appointees who voted to overturn Roe v. Wade. Abortion rights advocates argue that place is inconsistent.
Pressed on his place, O’Dea instructed NPR, “I imagine in good conservative judges. I like that. However I do not imagine within the choice that they made.” He mentioned he would symbolize his constituents if a nationwide abortion ban got here up within the Senate.
However Bennet argues O’Dea’s place on abortion, alongside along with his stances on different points — will flip off Colorado voters: “He is the nominee of the Republican Celebration right here in Colorado. And he says that Trump bears no duty for what occurred on January 6. That ought to be disqualifying, to say nothing of his place on Roe v. Wade, to say nothing of, you already know, his place on the trickle down economics which have made Colorado and so many locations on this nation unaffordable for working folks.”
Trump as an element within the midterms
As O’Dea intentionally pivots away from the previous president, Bennet mentioned, “It is a actuality that Trump hangs over every little thing.” Bennet says in each townhall he is had since Trump was elected, he brings up the menace to democracy.
Trump is not on the poll in November, however is somebody who got here up with a lot of the voters NPR talked to across the Denver metro space.
Philip Cardenas, who sells freeze dried sweet on the Inexperienced Valley Ranch farmer’s market, plans to again Bennet. He admits he would not know something about O’Dea however says he is involved about extremism from the GOP.
“I believe a majority of Individuals are purple. I imply, if the local weather was totally different, I’d positively – and I believed a Republican president would do higher – I’d vote. However they’re too far proper, proper now, with the MAGA crowd,” Cardenas mentioned.
Leon Pommer, a Republican procuring on the outside retailer Cabela’s in Thornton, Colo., mentioned he voted for Trump and credited him for conserving power costs decrease throughout his tenure. “He did actual properly on the fuel costs. You already know, he allowed fracking was going to have the oil pipeline come down from Canada, which might have stored costs decrease.”
Pommer, alongside along with his spouse Karen, mentioned they deliberate to again O’Dea, however Karen mentioned she left the Republican “arty to turn out to be an unbiased this yr. “I used to be disillusioned with Trump,” she instructed NPR. “I do not suppose he was trustworthy.”
O’Dea known as January 6 “a black eye to the nation” and praised former Vice President Mike Pence for his actions that day.
Democrats imagine current coverage invoice reveals Congress can work
Complaints about partisanship blocking actual motion are widespread from voters throughout the political spectrum.
Lynette Vigil, a mother of seven, says housing prices are uncontrolled. However she would not have a lot religion Congress will do a lot about it. “It is a circus,” she mentioned. “There is not any different phrase for it. It is a circus. I really feel like persons are residing in an alternate actuality.”
Bennet instructed NPR he will get the frustration, however factors to a string of current payments as proof that the Senate is working.
“I imply, it might be exhausting to think about someone extra disenchanted with Washington, D.C., than I’m. However I’ll say that for the final 12 months or so, it is actually been wonderful to see what’s been completed, largely in a bipartisan means — Republicans and Democrats working collectively,” Bennet mentioned. “And I do not suppose that ought to be discounted.”
ODea’s pitch to draw independents and Democrats is that he is somebody who’s prepared to compromise. However Bennet says this election is a selection — between a celebration that has made some headway to convey down excessive costs or a celebration dominated by a frontrunner nonetheless combating in regards to the final election.
