Sen. Mark Udall canceled plans Wednesday to appear at a fundraiser in Colorado with President Obama, saying that he could no longer make it home for the event because of changes to his workload on Capitol Hill.
“Mark is grateful for the president’s support and had hoped to welcome him to Colorado in person, but his responsibilities to serve Colorado in the Senate come first,” said Chris Harris, spokesman for the Udall campaign.
Mr. Obama is scheduled to visit Denver to deliver a speech about the economy and then participate in a fundraising luncheon hosted by the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) and the Udall campaign.
Earlier this week, Mr. Harris said that Mr. Udall would not be able to make it back from Washington to welcome the president from the airport or attend his address, but that the Democrat planned to attend the DSCC fundraiser with Mr. Obama.
Polls show that Mr. Udall is in a tough re-election fight against Rep. Cory Gardner, and some say he has tried to distance himself from Mr. Obama, who has become increasingly unpopular.
“Due to last-minute votes and legislative activity, Mark will be unable to make the trip back to Colorado on Wednesday,” Mr. Harris said Wednesday. “The Senate has decided to vote on Wednesday to confirm the new U.S. Secretary of Housing & Urban Development, who has authority over issues like flood recovery.”
SEE ALSO: Mark Udall finds little time for Obama in Colorado
Mr. Harris also said the Senate will continue to work on a sportsmen’s bill — called the Bipartisan Sportsmen’s Act — that Mr. Udall has signed onto as a co-sponsor and would open up more federal lands to hunting and fishing.
• Seth McLaughlin can be reached at smclaughlin@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.