In Colorado, Democrats typically attack Republicans claiming the 2020 election was “stolen.” These same Democrats are suddenly spending millions to support one such contender.
Allegedly, Democrats in Colorado have spent over $4 million on advertising, mailers, and other forms of support for Republican Senate challenger Ron Hanks.
This is a move to ensure that sitting Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO) can face a rival viewed as weaker in the main election.
False Claims
Democratic Colorado, a leftist super PAC, has been accused of sending mailers to voters, fraudulently saying Hanks was sponsored by the Colorado Republican Party.
This wound up eliciting complaints from the state GOP and Joe O’Dea, Hanks’s chief opponent.
Hanks, a state legislator vying against O’Dea, an entrepreneur, for the party nomination, attended ex-President Trump’s rally prior to the January 6 disturbance. Still, he denied involvement in the Capitol violence.
Hanks asserted there was “proof of fraud in many states” to imply that President Joe Biden was not elected fairly.
Ron Hanks was the only Colorado GOP Senate nominee to qualify for the ballot via the assembly process.
Here is his campaign ad where he blows up a fake Dominion Voting machine. pic.twitter.com/2nRu8gVvdX
— The Republican Accountability Project (@AccountableGOP) April 11, 2022
Several months ago, he released an ad depicting the destruction of a fake voting system manufactured by Dominion Voting Systems, which has been accused of manipulating election results in Biden’s favor.
The business has brought various defamation actions against prominent investors in reaction to these allegations.
O’Dea asserted that “Biden’s the president. He is awful,” according to the Colorado Sun.
In the Centennial State, Democratic-affiliated organizations have also backed other Republican primary contenders deemed too extreme.
In advertisements and further voter contact, they suggested that Republican candidates Greg Lopez for governor and Lori Saine for the 8th Congressional District are “too conservative.”
In Colorado, candidate for Governor Greg Lopez, has vowed to change the election rules. He plans to make the votes of rural Republicans count more than those of Democrats. Sounds completely fair.
— Just can't stay silent (@sortaskeptical) June 28, 2022
GOP Candidates
During this primary season, a large number of GOP candidates have supported accusations that their races’ victories in the 2020 election were illegal.
According to a study published by the Washington Post on June 14, at least 108 contenders who have cast aspersions on the 2020 election have secured their party’s nomination or progressed to runoffs.
Some Democrats warn that the trend of aiding right-wing adversaries could backfire, stating that not every case is successful and former Missouri Senator Claire McCaskill’s (D) 2012 primary victory for Republican Todd Akin is not applicable nationwide.
Per NPR, McCaskill stated, “This must be done with extreme prudence.”
A Big Loss For Democrats’ Candidates
The Democrats can now cover their faces in shame as the candidate they spent millions of dollars on has lost the primaries.
O’Dea polled with 57% of the vote, while Hanks got 43%. Republicans across the state must be in high spirits as they have a good chance of defeating Senator Michael Bennet come November.
Although elections are decided by many factors, it is refreshing that Democrats won’t have it easy at the polls.
What’s next for Hanks? We’ll have to wait and see.
