Democrats in Colorado are pumping money into the state’s Republican Senate primary to boost a more right-wing candidate with the hope that he will be easier for Democratic incumbent Sen. Michael Bennet to beat in November.
Democratic Colorado is injecting more than $850,000 over the next week alone, according to an ad-buy tracker. The TV ads, which are already running, feature state GOP Rep. Ron Hanks, who is struggling to catch the front-runner, construction company owner Joe O’Dea.
Mr. Hanks, who trails Mr. O’Dea in fundraising, has branded himself as the candidate most allied with former President Donald Trump.
Mr. Hanks attended Mr. Trump’s rally on Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington before the Capitol riot and echoes Mr. Trump’s unfounded claims that the 2020 election was stolen by Democrats.
The Hanks campaign had a little more than $16,000 cash on hand at the end of March.
He did not respond to a request for comment about the Democratic Colorado ads.
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Mr. O’Dea is the clear front-runner. Boosted by his personal fortune, Mr. O’Dea’s campaign had more than $609,000 in the bank at the end of March. The campaign’s internal polling showed Mr. O’Dea ahead of Mr. Hanks 33% to 12% among Republican primary voters.
Democratic Colorado, a “dark money” super PAC that because of its nonprofit status is not required to reveal its donors, would prefer Mr. Hanks in the general election showdown with Mr. Bennet, who faces a tough reelection race.
A 30-second TV ad from Democratic Colorado released Wednesday painted Mr. Hanks as “too conservative for Colorado,” highlighting his stance against abortions and his support for gun rights and Mr. Trump’s border wall.
It’s a message designed to energize far-right Republican voters in favor of Mr. Hanks for the June 28 primary.
Federal and state public records show the super PAC was formed in the last week by longtime Colorado Democratic operative Ashley Stevens. It is registered to the same Denver strip mall address as nearly two dozen other political groups that name Ms. Stevens as the registered agent.
Ms. Stevens did not respond to a request for comment.
The Colorado Senate race is one of several that Republicans have their eye on as they fight to retake control of the Senate that is split 50-50.
The GOP only needs a net gain of one seat to take control of the upper chamber.
The nonpartisan election forecaster Cook Politico Report considers the race to be “likely Democrat.” In 2020, Mr. Biden carried the state by 13 points over Mr. Trump and Democratic Sen. John Hickenlooper by a 9-point margin beat former Sen. Cory Gardner, a Republican.
This year, Democrats are facing headwinds even in Colorado because of President Biden’s low approval rating and widespread dissatisfaction with high inflation, high gasoline prices and crises ranging from the Ukraine war to the chaos on the U.S. southern border.
Nearly 45% of Colorado’s registered voters are unaffiliated, which means they can vote with Republicans in the primary.
The Bennet campaign declined to comment.
Mr. O’Dea described the influx of Democratic money in his primary race as an “act of desperation.”
“Joe Biden is wrecking the country and the Democrat’s only hope of winning Colorado is a multi-millionaire act of desperation — hijacking the Republican nomination for an unserious candidate who has zero chance of winning,” he said in a statement.
The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), the campaign arm of Senate Republicans, said the funding is a broader telltale sign that Democrats feel vulnerable.
“The money tells the story. Republican primaries haven’t even concluded in so-called blue states like Colorado, Washington and New Hampshire, yet Democrats are throwing millions upon millions of dollars early to stop the bleeding of incumbent senators,” said NRSC spokesman T.W. Arrighi. “Democrat panic underscores their historic weakness, and at this point, no amount of money will save them.”
• Ramsey Touchberry can be reached at rtouchberry@washingtontimes.com.
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