O’Dea Reveals He Voted For Abortion Ban In Colorado, Without Exceptions For Rape & Incest
In a significant development underscoring Joe O’Dea’s true record opposing Colorado women’s right to make their own health care choices, The Colorado Sun reported that O’Dea admitted for the first time that he voted for Prop 115 to impose an abortion ban in Colorado without exceptions for rape or incest in 2020.
From the Sun:
“O’Dea announced his stance after he told The Sun on Thursday that he voted for an unsuccessful 2020 ballot measure that would have outlawed the procedure after 22 weeks of gestation, or 5.5 months. “
“‘I voted for that,’O’Dea said in a brief interview after an event in Greenwood Village with U.S. Rep. Dan Crenshaw, a Texas Republican.” [Colorado Sun, 8/19/22]
Prop 115, which O’Dea revealed he voted for, would have imposed an abortion ban in Colorado with no exceptions for victims of rape or incest. It was deeply unpopular and was soundly defeated 59%–41%.
Unfortunately, O’Dea’s newly revealed vote for an abortion ban without exceptions for rape and incest is far from the only instance where his rhetoric about women’s health care clahes with his true record.
O’Dea’s real record shows he’d go along with Republicans in Washington to roll back Coloradans’ reproductive rights:
O’Dea says he supports a nationwide ban on abortion.
“O’Dea strongly supports a nationwide ban on late-term abortion,…”
O’Dea says he would have voted to confirm the Supreme Court Justices who overturned Roe v Wade.
O’Dea “would have voted to confirm every Supreme Court nominee of President George W. Bush and President Donald J. Trump.”
O’Dea opposes Colorado’s law that protects the right to choose, and the Senate bill to codify the right to an abortion.
O’Dea said “I disagree with the law here. This, to me, is reckless, it's extreme.” [The George Brauchler Show, 5/11/22]
O’Dea bragged about endorsements from pro-life leaders who supported abortion bans.
Former State Senator Greg Brophy
Brophy supported Amendment 48, the 2008 ballot initiative (led by current Colorado GOP Chair Kristi Burton Brown) that sought to outlaw abortion in Colorado. The amendment was defeated 3-to-1 by Colorado voters.
Former County Commissioner Libby Szabo
Szabo supported personhood amendments, like Amendment 48, the 2008 ballot initiative (led by current Colorado GOP Chair Kristi Burton Brown) that sought to outlaw abortion in Colorado. The amendment was defeated 3-to-1 by Colorado voters.
Former GOP Gubernatorial Candidate Doug Robinson
While running for Governor, Robinson said he voted for the “personhood amendment.”
Former County Commissioner Janet Rowland
Rowland supports outlawing abortion and holds a leadership position with Focus on the Family, a far-right organization that opposes abortion rights.
State Senator Bob Gardner
Garder proposed an amendment that sought to impose a 20-week abortion ban in Colorado. Coloradans rejected such a ban in 2020 with 59% of voters against it.
The bottom line: The new revelation that O’Dea voted to impose an abortion ban in Colorado without exception for rape or incest only underscores how his misleading campaign rhetoric clashes with his true record. O’Dea threatens Colorado women’s right to make their own health care choices and Coloradans cannot trust him in the Senate.