Joe O’Dea Signed Petition to Put Abortion Ban on Colorado Ballot
“O’Dea’s vote and his petition signature we now know about are at odds with his position on abortion today.”
In case you missed it, the Colorado Sun reported last week that GOP Senate candidate Joe O’Dea not only voted for an abortion ban with no exceptions for rape and incest, he also signed the petition to put it on the ballot. Kyle Clark from 9News points out that this recent development in O’Dea’s position is “at odds with his position on abortion today.”
O’Dea is proving to Coloradans that he can’t be trusted on a wide range of issues. Colorado Sun columnist Mike Littwin emphasizes this point in his latest column and writes: “O’Dea now says his beliefs have changed since 2020. And while we often hear of religious epiphanies, it’s fair to be at least slightly more skeptical of political epiphanies.”
9News Denver:
Axios Denver: Colorado Senate candidate Joe O'Dea backed tougher abortion ban to make 2020 ballot
Republican U.S. Senate candidate Joe O'Dea signed a petition to put a measure on the Colorado ballot in 2020 that would ban all abortions after 22 weeks, including in cases of rape and incest.
Why it matters: O'Dea's position on abortion is a central issue in the race against Democratic incumbent Sen. Michael Bennet. And the revelation — first reported by the Colorado Sun — raises new questions about where O'Dea stands on the issue.
His daughter appears in a campaign commercial saying her father "supports a woman's right to choose." And O'Dea has stated he supports Roe v. Wade, but that's not the full picture.
The backstory: O'Dea's campaign told Axios Denver he would support a prohibition on abortion after 20 weeks, including exceptions for situations involving rape, incest and threats to the mother's life.
But the candidate made clear he wouldn't pursue legislation seeking a ban.
Yes, but: The latest details about his work to get Proposition 115 on the 2020 ballot suggest otherwise.
He previously acknowledged voting for the measure, which he said he didn't fully consider. It only allows exceptions to the 22-week ban if the physical life of the mother is at risk.
The other side: Bennet supports Colorado's law that protects unfettered abortion access.