DENVER (KDVR) — It’s time for another Truth Check. This time on a new ad focusing on abortion in the race for U.S. Senate in Colorado.
The ad from Sen. Michael Bennet’s campaign highlights the differences between his stance and opponent Joe O’Dea’s. But how true are the claims? FOX31/Channels 2’s Gabrielle Franklin explains what the Truth Check team found.
“I honestly never thought I would see this day,” Ana of Aurora said.
“This just can’t be happening.” Nichola of Castle Rock said.
“I’m terrified for my daughter,” Marla, also of Castle Rock said.
All of the women featured in the ad are talking about the Supreme Court’s landmark decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.
“It makes the race for Senate even more important,” Susan of Boulder said.
That is an opinion on the matter.
The ad does not spell out who the women narrating the campaign commercial are. So we asked Bennet’s campaign team.
One of the women is Jaki Lawrence. She works in strategic communications for Cobalt, a reproductive justice organization. We know because she has talked to us about it before.
Bennet’s campaign tells us the other women are all Coloradans who live and work in the state and are not affiliated with an abortion rights group.
“Michael Bennett has always fought to protect a woman’s right to make her own healthcare decisions,” Lawrence said.
Truth Check says this is true: Most recently after Roe was overturned, Bennet voted yes during a roll call vote on the Women’s Health Protection Act in the Senate. It failed to get enough support to pass. He also co-sponsored the Freedom to Travel Act that was introduced this summer; President Biden ended up signing an executive order protecting people from interference with access to out-of-state abortion care.
“But Joe O’Dea opposes the law protecting abortion access in Colorado,” Lawrence said.
Truth Check says this is true. On O’Dea’s campaign website, he states he opposes the law because it went too far.
While O’Dea has told us in the past before Roe fell that he supports abortion up to a certain point, he only recently specified that he is against abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy.
“And O’Dea would have voted to confirm Trump’s Supreme Court justices who overturned Roe versus Wade,” one of the women said.
Truth Check says this is true.
O’Dea told the Denver Post he would have supported Justices Gorsuch. Additionally, you can see the ad mentions O’Dea would also confirm Bush appointees.
He told The Post he would have confirmed John Roberts. His campaign team notes O’Dea also said he would have voted to confirm Justice Elena Kagan, appointed during the Obama presidency, who voted to uphold Roe.
Bennet was not in office during the Bush presidency, but he voted “no” on all the justices appointed during his time in office who ultimately voted to overturn Roe: Gorsuch, Kavanaugh and Coney Barrett.
“It’s not close. We need Michael Bennet fighting for us,” Nichola said.
That is another opinion. Let’s get to the bottom line: The ad is mostly true with several opinions about abortion rights. How important are stances on reproductive health in this race? Voters will let everyone know this November.
Editor’s note: The video for this Truth Check segment has been reedited after its initial airing to remove images of a sign with explicit language.