By CAP Action War Room

Colorado’s Women Deserve Better Than What Cory Gardner Has To Offer

A new report released today by CAP Action shows the ways U.S. Senate candidate and Colorado Congressman Cory Gardner’s actions have consequences for Colorado women, despite what he would have you believe. Ever since he decided to run for Senate, Gardner has been attempting to remake the conservative image he has cultivated during his time in the House. But his record stands as a testament to his true convictions and showcases the types of harmful policies he would execute if elected to the Senate — and a new CAP Action poll released by Public Policy Polling shows that women aren’t buying his change of heart.

Squashing economic equality: Gardner has voted against the Paycheck Fairness Act even though women lead nearly three times as many households as men in Colorado, yet earn just 80 cents for every dollar a man earns. He opposes (and has voted against) a minimum wage increase even though 61% of Colorado women support raising the minimum wage.

Repealing the Affordable Care Act: Rep. Gardner has voted dozens of times to repeal the ACA, meaning he opposes more than 145,000 Colorado women having access to affordable health care. Health insurance offers financial protection even if serious health issues arise, making this an economic concern for women and families.

Rolling back reproductive rights: As a Senate candidate, Rep. Gardner has tried to muddy the waters on his position on women’s reproductive rights, releasing an ad in which he states his support for over-the-counter contraception and saying he “can’t support personhood going forward.” 60 percent of women say they “don’t trust Gardner when he says he no longer supports a personhood amendment,” perhaps because he remains a co-sponsor of federal personhood legislation, the Life at Conception Act, which would ban abortions completely and could outlaw some methods of birth control.

Overall, women in Colorado support Sen. Mark Udall over Rep. Gardner 51 percent to 40 percent.

BOTTOM LINE: Colorado women don’t trust Gardner, and they don’t support his policies that would hurt women and families. He has opposed expansion of health rights and protections gained by women at every turn and refuses to acknowledge the economic realities that they face. He may try to convince the people of Colorado that he’s changed, but actions speak louder than campaign promises.