Fresh off his Republican primary win for the U.S. Senate race, Joe O’Dea raised nearly $2 million this quarter and is beefing up the talent among his campaign staff to take on the Democrat’s entrenched incumbent, Michael Bennet.
The additional staffers include seasoned professionals with impressive political credentials, which they’ll need to hit the ground running for Colorado is one of the Democrat’s most vulnerable Senate seats.
“They are talented professionals who have been tested and delivered. We’re going to make sure we get our message across this state and gear up to win in November to bring real results for working Americans,” O’Dea said.
Scoop: Republican nominee in Colorado raising decent money, including putting $1M of his own cash in the race.
On paper, O’Dea shaping up as the best Senate GOP candidate in a crop of glaringly weak recruits. https://t.co/ZAnKkYCGk4
— Josh Kraushaar (@JoshKraushaar) July 12, 2022
Kyle Kohli will take on the duties of communications director, with the help of deputy press secretary Joshua Marin-Mora.
Katie Behnke joins the team as national finance consultant, and Carrie Hackenberger is the deputy campaign manager.
Leading the team is campaign manage Zack Roday, vice president of the 76 Group.
Kohli led communications in Colorado for the Republican National Committee, and most recently served as executive director for the conservative advocacy group Compass Colorado.
Behnke’s fundraising credits include former U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner and the National Republican Senatorial Committee.
This is a critical position for the O’Dea team, which is playing catch up to an estimated $7 million already in the bank for Bennet’s campaign.
Hackenberger comes from the energy industry, which is handy experience when the number one issue on the minds of voters is the price of gasoline and Biden’s war on domestic production. The Colorado native worked as associate director of the American Petroleum Institute Colorado.
Marin-Mora handled press duties for Glenn Youngin’s winning gubernatorial campaign in Virginia.
Good times.
He earned a degree in international politics from Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service, and served as the Spanish-language media liaison with multiple campaigns.