Businessman Joe O’Dea Wins Republican Senate Nomination in Colorado

Denver businessman Joe O’Dea has won the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate in Colorado, beating out his opponent, Air Force veteran Ron Hanks.

Dave Wasserman of the Cook Political Report called the race at 9:16 p.m. EST, and minutes later, the Associated Press (AP) concurred. With 81 percent of the vote tabulated, O’Dea, the adopted son of a police officer, had secured 56.3 percent of the electorate, while Hanks took home 43.7 percent.

I've seen enough: Joe O'Dea (R) defeats Ron Hanks (R) in the #COSEN GOP primary and will face Sen. Michael Bennet (D) in the fall.

— Dave Wasserman (@Redistrict) June 29, 2022

O’Dea received endorsements from the Denver Police Officers Association and former U.S. Sen. Hank Brown (R-CO), among a number of other local organizations and state senators.

 Brown, who served for a term in the Senate in the 1990s, stated: 

Joe O’Dea is the person who sits at the head of the conference table, asking the smart questions, and making tough choices. Joe O’Dea is a boss – a true leader – not a career politician. He’s the kind of conservative Republicans will eagerly support who also boasts a personal story and a common sense approach that will attract independent and swing voters hungry for a new direction in our state and country.

O’Dea vows to fight for the working class and combat reckless spending and inflation that is burning the pockets of Americans.

“Washington isn’t focused on working people. And those policies have deep consequences,” O’Dea’s campaign page notes. “Out-of-control inflation, taxation, and red tape are destroying the value of work in our country.”

 “The biggest driver of inflation is the embrace of socialism by the political elites in Washington,” said the businessman turned Republican Senate nominee. 

 O’Dea “does not support a ban in the case of rape, incest, or the life of the mother or early in the pregnancy,” Colorado pro-life leaders said in an endorsement of the candidate. “Some of us do not agree with this part of his position.” 

However, they note: 

O’Dea strongly supports a nationwide ban on late-term abortion, a nationwide ban on taxpayer funding for abortion, a nationwide parental choice requirement, and will fight any attempt to make religious hospitals perform a procedure they object to.

He is set to take on sitting Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO) in the general election this November.