Joe O'Dea, Republican running for U.S. Senate, is a regular Joe
For the last 30 years, Joe O'Dea has helped shape the state's network of roads and bridges as the owner of a large construction business. Now, he wants to help shape its public policy as a U.S. Senator.
O'Dea is, in many ways, a regular Joe. He dropped out of college and became a union carpenter before opening a small concrete paving business out of his basement. That business, Concrete Express, now employs 300 people.
O'Dea says he never thought about running for office until the COVID shutdown: "Watching our freedoms eroded away, watching what was happening with small businesses here in Colorado, that struggle really brought to my attention how volatile our government, our United States, our freedoms are."
If elected, he would be the state's first U.S. Senator with no political or public sector experience, but he says he has plenty of experience working with the other side of the aisle: "I've been working in Denver FOR 30 plus years and in order to work here, you have to work with Democrats, there are a few here in Denver. And I pride myself with being able to sit down with people, come up with good ideas on both sides, and form a partnership that gets things done. So, I'll use that skill set when I get to the U.S. Senate."
His top priorities are debt, inflation and immigration. He opposes Democrats' Inflation Reduction Act, saying instead of spending money hiring more IRS agents, Congress should hire more border security agents to combat drug trafficking and what he calls skyrocketing crime: "I would use that money to fund completing the wall and securing the border. In addition to that, I would take whatever money is left over and use that to fund local and state police departments."
O'Dea says he would introduce a bill to overhaul the entire immigration system: "I've got employees who have worked for me for 15 years. They're here on work visas, they're here legally, they're paying their taxes, and they can't through their citizenship and I think that's important to clean that up. I would give the Dreamers citizenship, they're here no fault of their own, we need to clean that up. A bill like that, I think we could get some bi-partisan support for if we do it all at once. So, the first bill I'd like to run when I hit the U.S. Senate."
Immigration is one of several issues where he is more moderate than many in his party. He's anti-Trump, saying he would campaign against the former President if he runs in 2024, and he dismisses election conspiracy theories.
He also supports gay marriage, would not vote to repeal Obamacare, and believes abortion should be legal before 20 weeks and in cases of rape, incest and the mom's health, after 20 weeks: "I'm going to vote that way. That's the bill I think Colorado wants." He admits he fielded criticism from some Christian conservatives for his position and even lost votes in the primary election as a result: "I am who I am. I'm not going to change. That's how I'll vote."
Adopted at birth, he says he will also push to make adoptions easier. But, he's focused, he says, on economic not social issues...
He blames trillions of dollars in new spending for record-high inflation and, he says, government aid should be targeted to those most in need. While he wants to cut spending, he promises to protect Medicare and social security.
Increasing energy production, he says, would also help the economy and environment: "If we want to do a lot of good work for the world, let's export good, clean natural gas to Asia, to India."
On gun control, O'Dea supports what he calls common-sense regulations like universal background checks but opposes the sweeping reforms passed by Congress earlier this year: "I do believe that I have the right to defend my home and my family and I'll protect that right. I don't believe in a bunch more laws that we can't enforce, that we haven't enforced."
He says he will be his own man not a "yes" man in D.C., and his message he says is resonating: "Somebody stopped and at a lunch came in and grabbed my hands and prayed with me for my family, said 'I pray for you for what you're doing,' and that's really touching, it really is. And those are the kind of people we've seen across the state who care and are ready for some change."
For CBS News Colorado's profile of U.S. Senator Michael Bennet, click here.
