Coffman faces old foe as gun control group buys ad
A gun control group that helped oust Mike Coffman from Congress last year is now targeting the Republican as he runs for Aurora mayor.
Though that office is officially nonpartisan, a new digital ad that’s launching Wednesday draws on the National Rifle Association’s past support for Coffman to urge voters to reject him as the city’s next leader. It’s paid for by Giffords PAC, a group created by former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords that supports Omar Montgomery, a Democrat, in the open five-way race.
The group says its $50,000 digital ad buy for the 30-second spot is targeted at motivating registered Democrats who are occasional voters to participate in the Nov. 5 municipal election. Aurora voters who fit that profile will likely see the ad online.
Coffman questioned the value of the effort in a statement provided by a spokesperson, saying in part: “The last thing we need is national politics infecting our mayor’s race. Aurora deserves better.”
But a leader of Giffords PAC was blunt in talking about the ad’s aim.
“We are fully aware of the fact that Mike Coffman is probably using this as a stepping stone to get back into higher office,” Giffords political director Joanna Belanger said in an interview, “and we want to make sure he is sort of cut off at the feet to do that. And we want to make sure someone like Omar is put on a trajectory to move forward.”
The ad buy is the latest evidence that Aurora, the site of the 2012 movie theater shooting that killed 12, has become a center of America’s gun control debate. Democratic presidential contender Beto O’Rourke hosted a town hall on guns in the suburban city last month, and Gabby Giffords appeared at an Aurora event in August with several Democrats, including U.S. Rep. Jason Crow, who defeated Coffman.
The new spot begins with an image from an early TV news report on the Aurora attack that featured onscreen text erroneously saying the shooting had claimed “at least 14” lives. The narrator says Coffman “had a chance to do the right thing” after the mass shooting but instead “went to bat for the NRA.”
The NRA bestowed an “A” rating on Coffman for his congressional votes in several cycles and donated more than $30,000 to his federal campaigns.
Coffman has defended gun rights while saying there’s room for “reasonable restrictions,” including red-flag gun legislation. But gun issues rarely have come up in the mayor’s race.
“I am focused on working with Aurora leaders to make a difference on behalf of everyone who lives in our city, and that’s why my No. 1 priority is working with law enforcement to reduce crime and protect our schools and neighborhoods,” Coffman said in his statement. “That’s why both the Aurora and Arapahoe County chapters of the Fraternal Order of Police have endorsed my candidacy.” The Giffords ad praises Montgomery — the president of Aurora’s NAACP chapter and a fellow gun violence survivor — as an advocate for gun policy reforms. It also points out his Democratic affiliation, which won’t appear on the ballot.
The other candidates in the mayor’s race are Ryan Frazier, Marsha Berzins and Renie Peterson, all current or former Aurora City Council members. Tiffany Grays is registered as a write-in candidate.