In order to retake Congress, Republicans are looking at a red wave. Michael Bennet‘s seat could be at risk in November, depending on how powerful the red wave is. It would be the first time since Ben Nighthorse Campbell vacated the seat in 2004 if a Republican were to defeat Bennet. The Republican candidates who want to take on Bennet must first defeat one another. Businessman Joe O’Dea and state representative Ron Hanks are the only Republicans running for office.

About Joe O’dea

O’Dea has 34 years of experience running his own construction business. He was raised by a Denver police officer after being put up for adoption at birth. He enrolled at Colorado State University but left to launch his basement constriction business. More than 300 people work there currently. O’Dea has never held a political position, but he has pledged to use his business experience and capacity for collaboration to find a solution. “I’m not a politician by profession.” Colorado residents are prepared for a change, according to O’Dea. “We’ve sent a lot of politicians to the Senate and other places, but they’re not doing the job,” the speaker said. People are looking for a person with business experience.

O’Dea did resolve a case with a worker who alleged age and handicap discrimination last year. He disputes the employee’s allegations, saying that he treats all of his staff with the highest respect. “All of those claims are demonstrably wrong. It’s okay for her to be upset that she departed. She wasn’t required to work for my business. She left on her own” accord, according to O’Dea

About Ron Hanks

State representative Ron Hanks was in the Air Force for 32 years. He was chosen to represent House District 60, which includes the counties of Chaffee, Custer, Fremont, and Park, in the 2020 election. He participates in the Public and Behavioral Health and Human Services, Energy and Environment, and Appropriations committees. Hanks has introduced a total of six bills during his term in office: one to allow for the constitutional carry of handguns, another to lift the restriction on large-capacity magazines, one to fund water storage tanks, and another to provide an income tax credit for private education, one to require specialized ballot paper, and a final one that would mandate in-person voting and manual vote counting within 24 hours of the election. This legislation all failed to pass.

 

In the state legislature, he has sponsored eight Republican party members’ bills. All of them failed. Last year, Hanks co-sponsored a bill that was approved by both parties to increase funding for a grant program for police officers’ mental health. He co-sponsored a failed bill that would have added “In God We Trust” to a special license plate. Hanks created a stir during his first two legislative sessions by asserting that the Three-Fifths Compromise did not violate anyone’s humanity. Hanks has additionally come under fire for abstaining from several votes during the current legislative session. According to Colorado Capitol Watch, he missed 91 of 523 final floor passage votes, 31 of 297 appropriations votes, and 57 of 104 committee votes in the Colorado House of Representatives.

The Candidate’s Point of View Regarding election safety

Ron Hanks is best known for casting doubt on the validity of the 2020 presidential election. He has often cast doubt on the accuracy of computerized voting systems, claiming that because they are produced abroad, they are not secure. These programs are tainted. It doesn’t matter how much it will cost to get rid of them; we must do so. The most significant and valuable thing we possess is our vote. Therefore, “damn the expense, it’s security and our sovereignty that matter here, not cost,” Hanks said in an interview with Denver7 in April.

Joe O’Dea Over Election

O’Dea, on the other hand, has declared that he accepts the 2020 election results. “Our president is Biden ,I’ve said that I entered this race from the beginning. He’s a terrible president”, O’Dea declared. O’Dea uses the mail to return his ballot and claims to support the practice. He does think that there are certain approaches to enhance election security. There are many things Colorado can do to strengthen the security of its voting system, according to O’Dea. “Ballot harvesting should be made illegal, and we need to do a better job with IDs and signature verification,” the speaker said.

Hanks And  O’Dea  About Abortion

The two candidates’ views on abortion are likewise significantly dissimilar. Hanks believes that life truly begins at conception. Hanks stated at the Western Conservative Summit that “life begins at conception and the government should protect it from that time on.” “It is murder, and we must decide where we stand on that issue. On that, I’m adamant.” Hanks participated in a 24-hour-long filibuster on the Colorado House floor to try to stop the Reproductive Health Equity Act from becoming state law and codifying abortion protections.

O’Dea, on the other hand, favors parental notice but opposes late-term abortions and taxpayer sponsorship of abortion services. However, he is not anti-abortion in general. “I oppose an outright prohibition. I think a woman, her doctor, and her god make that choice. I firmly believe that nothing can be mandated, including things. So even if we forbade abortions outright, that doesn’t guarantee they would stop occurring. That implies that they will finish in a shadowy passageway,” according to O’Dea. He also thinks the RHEA law is dangerous and opposes it.

Climate Change

Another issue on which the two candidates disagree greatly is climate change. “I don’t want to sit here and pretend climate change is a real concern”, Hanks says in a video on his campaign website. “We must strike back because they have used the term “weather” as a tool to dominate debate and policy”.  By using climate change to limit our power plants, which he claimed is harming American manufacturing, he accused China of attempting to stifle the United States.

O’Dea has asserted on the campaign trail that man is responsible for climate change. However, he stated, “There is no doubt that the climate is changing; everyone can agree that it is becoming warmer,””  in an interview with a leading media house. “How much of it is due to human activity? What proportion is natural? There should still be a discussion on that, in my opinion.” According to O’Dea, the switch to renewable energy must be gradual.

On Firearms

On the campaign trail, Hanks has been outspoken about his stance in favor of gun rights. Hanks claims to be an active member of a gun club, to have a concealed carry permit, and to be an NRA-certified one-mile long-range shooter on his campaign website. Six legislation that Hanks submitted to the legislature, two of them dealt with guns. Both fell short.

“With the crime rate increasing as it is, along with the other problems, and the police being weak, I would not compromise on our Second Amendment rights.” At the Western Conservative Summit, Hanks emphasized the need to protect our Second Amendment rights. He also demanded increased funding for Colorado’s school security. O’Dea has adopted a pro-gun stance as well. He has received the support of the Colorado State Shooting Association. According to him, those who make threats online must be held accountable. “It’s encouraging to see that they are discussing mental health. I don’t think you can pass laws to stop evil,” he stated. He supports placing additional police officers in neighborhoods and schools. He also supports allowing instructors to carry concealed weapons.

O’ Dea over Gun Control Law

O’Dea stated to Denver that he does not think red flag regulations have had an impact and that he is unwilling to support legislation that would shut the alleged boyfriend loophole. He contends that those who threaten others should be imprisoned.

The conflict between Ukraine and Russia

The situation in Ukraine is another issue on which the two contenders hold different opinions. Both agree that President Joe Biden has not handled the problem appropriately and attributes Russia’s weakness to his hasty withdrawal from Afghanistan, but they disagree on how to proceed. O’Dea asserts that the president has been negligent and that the U.S. should have transferred some of its assets from Afghanistan to Ukraine as a deterrent.

“We should make sure to provide the Ukrainian people with all they require so that they can ensure their ability to defend themselves and their freedom. Since where does he stop if they don’t stop [Putin] there?” stated O’Dea.

Hanks’s Over Conflict Between Ukraine and Russia

Hanks agreed with the harsh condemnation of the way the situation in Ukraine has been handled. However, he also stated in a recent debate that the United States shouldn’t provide arms or give financial aid to Ukraine because it will be important for relations with Russia in the future. However, he stressed that there are further routes by which weapons can enter the nation.

Border security

Both candidates have emphasized the need for border security, pledging to erect the wall and prevent people traffickers and unauthorized immigrants from entering the country unlawfully. Regarding immigration, O’Dea claims he is in favor of giving Dreamers and other individuals who entered the country against their will as children a road to citizenship.

“They’re not at blame for being here. I believe we ought to provide them with a route to citizenship. Who is going to bring them all home, you ask? And that makes absolutely no sense. Their house is here, so that won’t happen,”  O’Dea said. He claims that the remainder of the illegal immigrants residing in the nation must line up and go through the immigration procedure. He disagrees with absolute immunity.