Colorado
In Colorado, a GOP rarity: An abortion rights candidate
DENVER (AP) — Joe O’Dea stood earlier than a whole lot of social conservatives and uttered phrases they had been unaccustomed to listening to from a Republican U.S. Senate candidate: “I do know my place on abortion isn’t the identical as all of yours.”
O’Dea, a businessman who has spoken publicly about his assist for abortion rights, instructed the group that he backs a ban on late-term abortions and authorities funding of abortions. However, he mentioned, the choice to terminate a being pregnant within the preliminary months is “between an individual and their God.”
On different points, O’Dea seems like a typical conservative. He needs to chop again authorities regulation and broaden oil and fuel manufacturing, and he opposes gun restrictions. However his assist for abortion rights stands out in a Republican Occasion by which opposition to the process has grow to be a bedrock precept.
His high rival in Tuesday’s major is state Rep. Ron Hanks, who opposes abortion in all circumstances. The 2 are competing to tackle Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet, who gained his first Senate race in 2010 by hammering his GOP challenger over opposition to abortion rights.
Republican voter Carla Davis, who describes herself as “100% pro-life,” thinks O’Dea shall be a stronger candidate within the normal election towards Bennet in a state that has voted down initiatives to restrict or ban abortion 4 instances since 2008.
“You’ve acquired to concede on small issues to make issues work,” mentioned Davis, a 60-year-old advertising and marketing government who attended a latest O’Dea occasion.
Nonetheless, if O’Dea does win the Republican major, it would partly be attributable to a monetary benefit slightly than a strategic selection by GOP voters. He has spent greater than $600,000 of his personal cash on his Senate run, whereas Hanks’ marketing campaign has raised lower than $60,000.
Hanks, who mentioned he marched to the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 however didn’t enter the constructing throughout the rebellion, mentioned O’Dea’s views don’t align with these of most Republican major voters.
“His coverage positions would put him to the left of Mitt Romney,” Hanks mentioned in an interview. “The message isn’t Republican, it’s not conservative, it’s not pro-life.”
Hanks has gotten some assist from a Democratic group that sees him as a neater opponent for Bennet. The group spent $800,000 on adverts designed to tout his candidacy within the GOP major, warning that he’s “too conservative” for backing an entire abortion ban and letting anybody carry firearms in public.
Conservatives concern one thing related would occur if Hanks is the nominee. “Reasonably than speaking in regards to the financial system, slightly than speaking about inflation, you’ll be speaking about abortion,” mentioned Mario Nicolais, a lawyer and activist who left the Republican Occasion partly over criticism he acquired after backing a poll measure to ban abortions at 22 weeks — the critics needed abortion banned utterly.
To Nicolais, that demonstrates how inflexible some Republicans are of their opposition to abortion rights, a part of what has marginalized them within the state. The 22-week ban failed on the polls in November 2020, simply as voters rejected different initiatives to restrict or ban abortion in 2008, 2010 and 2014.
Colorado in 1967 turned the primary state to loosen restrictions on abortion, six years earlier than the U.S. Supreme Court docket choice within the case of Roe v. Wade assured the fitting to an abortion nationally in 1973. This yr, the Democratic-controlled legislature handed a legislation guaranteeing full entry to abortion within the state even the Supreme Court docket overturns Roe. A leaked draft opinion from the excessive courtroom signifies that might occur by the point the courtroom’s time period ends this month, across the identical time as Colorado’s Tuesday major.
Bennet’s marketing campaign has cited that looming choice as a purpose for Colorado voters to be cautious of the GOP.
“Each Republican candidates are too far proper for our state,” spokesperson Georgina Beven mentioned in a press release. “Coloradans have an excellent deeper sense of urgency now to elect pro-choice candidates this November, and Michael will all the time be dedicated to defending ladies’s reproductive rights within the US Senate.”
If O’Dea had been to be elected, he would be part of Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski as the one Republican senators who publicly assist Roe v. Wade.
Nonetheless, the state is house to a core group of robust opponents of abortion rights, together with many non secular teams alarmed on the prospect of not having a like-minded candidate on the Senate poll within the fall.
“The dignity of each particular person — born and pre-born — needs to be unassailable and non-negotiable,” mentioned Paul J. Batura, a spokesperson for the non secular group Give attention to the Household, which isn’t concerned within the major. “Come November, Coloradoans and voters in all places deserve the chance to precise their pro-life convictions on the poll field.”
The most important conservative occasion within the state is the Western Conservative Summit, sponsored by Colorado Christian College. It was there, in an unlimited resort close to Denver Worldwide Airport, that O’Dea acquired a well mannered reception from the group, which was largely quiet whereas he briefly mentioned abortion. Hanks, who preceded him, was greeted with roars when he outlined his unyielding stance on the problem.
“After we combat for all times, we don’t combat for all times a few of the time, we combat for all of it,” Hanks mentioned. “As a result of all people deserves a birthday.”
O’Dea jabbed at Hanks, a former Military intelligence officer who unsuccessfully ran for Congress in California in 2010. Hanks mentioned he opposed abortion, however his marketing campaign literature mentioned he held “a measured and slender window for medical consultants.” That caveat led O’Dea to accuse Hanks of “having his finger within the wind.” Hanks, in an interview, mentioned he modified place as a result of enhancements in medical know-how make it simpler to avoid wasting a mom’s life in case of problems.
However most of O’Dea’s speech didn’t contain abortion, a problem that he says he by no means hears about from voters. Most voters, O’Dea mentioned in an interview, are fearful about inflation and crime, two points he’s hit relentlessly on the marketing campaign path.
A political novice, O’Dea has donated to each Democrats and Republicans up to now. He gave $500 to Bennet in 2010. O’Dea mentioned that he made most of his donations to Democrats when he chaired a development business group that paid to attend marketing campaign fundraisers and that he’ll ask for his a reimbursement on the controversy stage.
O’Dea says he voted twice for Donald Trump however that he has no opinion on whether or not the previous president ought to run once more and volunteered that he appreciated Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a possible Trump rival in 2024′s GOP major. O’Dea mentioned he supported Trump’s nominees to the Supreme Court docket, who’re among the many justices who seem to again overturning Roe, and noticed no contradiction between that and his views on abortion.
“I’m not operating on social points,” O’Dea mentioned, “and other people aren’t speaking about social points, besides reporters and Ron Hanks.”
Colorado
Can Colorado State’s Nique Clifford Improve His Stock Ahead of 2025 NBA Draft?
In the Colorado State Rams’ first NCAA Tournament game last season, wing Nique Clifford shined, scoring 17 points on 7-for-12 shooting as well as recording 10 rebounds and six assists in a win against the Virginia Cavaliers. The multitalented perimeter player showed a knack for impacting the game in a myriad of ways on both ends of the floor, as he is a very high-level defender on top of his skills on the boards and in the passing game.
In his fourth season of collegiate basketball, Clifford averaged 12.2 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game as well as contributing through his aforementioned defensive prowess. The Colorado Springs native is one of the better prospects in the Mountain West Conference, and will attempt to replicate last year’s success in order to stay abuzz on draft boards.
What stood out about his 2023-24 season was his vast improvement shooting the ball from beyond the arc, as he finished at 37.6% from deep on 3.0 attempts per game, as compared to 28.8% on 2.1 attempts the year prior. He shot 52.2% for the season overall, and was Colorado State’s leading rebounder.
His return to Colorado State was puzzling to some who thought he would have been taken in the second round of the 2024 NBA Draft, but clearly, Clifford is betting on himself. His role for the Rams this year will likely be to lead the team in scoring, as last year’s leading bucket getter, Isaiah Stevens, graduated this past offseason. Considering Stevens averaged 16.0 points and 6.8 assists per game, Clifford will have to shoulder a much heavier offensive load for the Rams this upcoming season.
While this draft class is stacked with young talent, it’s still possible that Clifford is able to make a name for himself if the shooting stays consistent and he can once again be tops on the team in rebounding. If his playmaking can take a leap, Clifford may end up going much higher on boards than previously expected.
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Colorado
Gov. Jared Polis reveals proposed $46 billion Colorado budget
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Colorado
Ongoing debate surrounds Colorado's election security after password updates
Colorado Gov. Jarid Polis and Secretary of State Jena Griswold say the state has completed updating all the passwords on election machines. This comes after a set of passwords for the state’s voting system were leaked online on Wednesday.
To complete the effort, eight staff members from the Department of State along with 22 state cybersecurity personnel were directed to make efforts to protect the integrity of voting. Each member of the team was background-checked and underwent the proper training. Additionally, they worked in teams and were observed by county election officials.
Griswold announced the leak on Tuesday, saying a spreadsheet posted on her office’s website had a tab with partial passwords for Colorado voting machines.
Following the leak, the governor’s office says they responded quickly to safeguard the election. Secretary Griswold says she appreciates the action as protecting Colorado’s elections is a top priority.
“Colorado has countless layers of security to ensure our elections are free and fair, and every eligible voter should know their ballot will be counted as cast,” said Secretary of State Jena Griswold in a press release.
On Friday, the state’s Bipartisan Election Advisory Commission met at the Denver Elections Division, where the recent issue was a topic of conversation.
“One password leak is not going to compromise the whole enchilada. It’s just not right,” said Denver County Clerk Paul Lopez. “You literally have to be Jason Bourne. You’ve got to be Mission Impossible, coming down in here with badge access, physical access, to tamper with anything.”
Lopez attended the event where dozens of volunteers worked to verify signatures by eye. Between each step of the process, they weigh the ballot on a sensitive scale to make sure it all matches up. Despite an occasional irregularity with a ballot, they have not seen any major issues or problems related to the password leak.
“Rest assured that your vote is safe and will be counted and it is transparent,” said Lopez. “If you have any questions whatsoever, don’t go to Facebook. Don’t go to Twitter. Don’t believe the hype. That is a lot of misinformation. Hit up your county clerk’s office.”
Despite efforts to calm concerns, the incident has sparked controversy about voting in Colorado. Unsurprisingly, it has also led to political backlash, with various members of the Republican Party, including presidential candidate Donald Trump, questioning the integrity of the elections in the state. Trump’s campaign is now suggesting that voting should be paused.
“The Secretary of State must immediately identify the counties affected by the security breach, notify them, direct them to halt processing of mail ballots, and prepare to re-scan all ballots,” said a letter from the Trump campaign. This process is laid out under Colorado law and would not disrupt the voting process, as counties are not permitted to disclose results until 7:00 p.m. on Election Day.”
Colorado officials say there are multiple layers of security. For instance, the passwords shared were one of two passwords needed to make changes to the voting system. On top of that, these machines can only be accessed by someone in person. The machines are stored in a secure area that needs an ID badge to access and is under around-the-clock video camera recording.
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