DENVER — As the election approaches, Coloradans are being bombarded with political TV ads. Some of them exaggerate the truth, are outright false or misleading, or omit important context that voters should be aware of.
This is evident in the 8th Congressional District race between Democratic incumbent U.S. Representative Yadira Caraveo and Republican challenger State Representative Gabe Evans.
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Airing of political ads by the National Republican Congressional Committee
CLAIM: Two new ads from the National Republican Congressional Committee attack Carabeo, accusing her of contributing to Colorado’s fentanyl crisis. They accuse her of voting to reduce penalties for fentanyl possession when she was a state representative.
What the record shows: Legislative records show Carabeo actually voted in favor of a 2019 bill that reclassified possession of 4 grams or less of fentanyl as a misdemeanor. The bill had bipartisan support, with Caraveo listed as a co-sponsor.
The ad does not mention that Caraveo voted for a bill in 2022 that would repeal the penalties in the 2019 law, amid a spike in overdose deaths in Colorado.
CLAIM: Another ad from Evans’ side said Carabeo is “responsible for everything” including drugs and crime that enters Colorado communities. The ad, which features Evans standing alongside members of law enforcement, attempts to link her to cutting police budgets.
What CARAVEO does: This advertisement is highly misleading. Carabeo, one of the 535 members and a newcomer elected in 2022, cannot say he is “responsible for everything.” Police budgets are approved by local leaders, with no involvement from members of Congress.
On the other side are attack ads from groups supporting Caraveo, missing important context.
CLAIM: One ad from House Majority PAC, which is affiliated with House Democrats, says Evans believes gays and lesbians should not be allowed to marry. The ad also said Evans compared same-sex marriage to incest.
Letter to the Editor from Evans: This ad references a letter to the editor written by Evans in 2004. Evans was 17 years old, but the ad didn’t note that. The letter Evans wrote was a response to an earlier article published in a local newspaper. In his letter, Evans said he does not support same-sex marriage. He also said that if gay marriage is allowed, “acts like incest, pedophilia and bestiality should also be allowed.”
Evans told Denver7 that, like many Americans, his views on same-sex marriage have evolved in the years since he wrote the letter. He credits his experiences as a soldier and police officer with helping him evolve.
“I worked with gay and lesbian soldiers. I worked with gay and lesbian police officers. I would have taken the bullet for them. They would have taken the bullet for me.” Evans said.
Evans also said he supports repealing the state constitution’s ban on same-sex marriage.
KMGH-TV
Political ads aired by House Majority PAC.
CLAIM: Another House Majority PAC ad goes after Evans on abortion, claiming it would make abortion illegal even in cases of rape or incest.
Evan’s position: While pro-life, Evans has said he supports exceptions.
“We know we have to have the flexibility to care for people in tragic situations like this. That’s why I support the rape and incest exception,” Evans said. said.
He said he also supports an exception to save the mother’s life.
When asked by Denver7 whether he supports the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, Evans did not provide a direct answer.
“I think it’s clear that the Supreme Court sent this case back to the states so they can handle it,” Evans said. “And you can see that the 10th Amendment talks about things that are not at the federal level and is explicitly delegated to the states.”
Evans said he would oppose a national abortion ban if elected to Congress.
Under Federal Communications Commission regulations, national broadcasters such as ABC, CBS, and NBC are prohibited from censoring or rejecting political ads funded and sponsored by legally eligible candidates. Masu. These rules do not apply to cable channels such as CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC.
Fact-checking political ads in Colorado’s 8th Congressional District election
Related headings —
Colorado Voter Guide: What you need to know for the November 2024 election
2024 Colorado Election: Voting Breakdown | Denver Decision Forum
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