Bennet decisively defeats O’dea
Democrat Michael Bennet scored his most decisive victory in three successful bids for the U.S. Senate on Tuesday, Nov. 8, and prevented the possibility of Colorado outing both of its senators within two election cycles.
“Bennet fights for Colorado values and working families in the U.S. Senate — and his victory speaks to the incredible work he’s done to represent our state,” Colorado Democratic Party Chairwoman Morgan Carroll said.
Bennet unofficially gathered 54.9% of statewide votes, a total of 1,030,331, to defeat Republican challenger Joe O’dea and secure his third term in office.
“The outcome is a tough pill to swallow. But that’s life in the big city,” said O’dea, noting the disproportionate way in which the Front Range populous dominates the outcomes of statewide elections. “We fought hard. We competed. We stayed true to our core and our beliefs and our values. And it didn’t work out, not this time. But I don’t have any regrets at all.”
Among his key arguments, O’dea had criticized Bennet for voting with President Joe Biden “98% of the time” and that same study finds Colorado’s other senator, John Hickenlooper, votes with Biden 100%. O’dea had promised to secure the southern border, address crime and drugs, and reduce the country’s debt and spending, pledging to bring his business acumen to Washington.
“He would’ve been a rubber stamp for Mitch Mcconnell and MAGA Republicans,” Carroll said.
O’dea called for his opponent to broaden his perspective as he returns to Washington, D.C.
“The country is suffering, peo
ple are struggling, and our leaders need to elevate themselves to the great challenges of the day,” O’dea said. “I hope that Sen. Bennet will use his seat for the good of this state, all four corners.”
In 2016, Bennet earned election to his second term in office with a 5.7% margin over Darryl Glenn. He defeated Ken Buck in 2010 by a 1.7% percent margin.
Eastern Colorado heavily favored O’dea, handing him a 15.3% margin in Weld County, a 41.6% margin in Morgan County and a 48.9% margin in Logan County, where the majority of regional votes are located. O’dea earned at least 65% support in each Logan, Morgan, Phillips, Sedgwick, Yuma and Washington counties, that area considered dependably conservative in Northeast Colorado.