Denver

Denver Alerts

Alert

Picture of the Denver skyline with DEN written across it.

blue

Get smarter, faster on what matters in Denver with Alayna Alvarez, John Frank, and Esteban L. Hernandez.

Axios Denver

Standard

Axios Denver Partners

Axios Denver Thought Bubble

Thought Bubble

A guide to fun things to do in Denver this weekend.

Axios Denver Weekender

Weekender

Axios Denver Deep Dive

Deep Dive

Denver Members

Membership

Colorado GOP congressional candidate Barbara Kirkmeyer scrubbed her hardline anti-abortion stance from her campaign website, part of a broader overhaul to moderate her image.

Why it matters: It's longstanding practice for candidates in both parties to modify their rhetoric for general-election audiences, but this year's messaging gymnastics are next-level, Axios' Alexi McCammond and Andrew Solender write.

State of play: The Supreme Court's June reversal of Roe v. Wade makes abortion a centerpiece issue in Colorado. And Democrats sense momentum on the issue after big wins in a Kansas abortion referendum and a special House election in New York.

Zoom in: In Colorado's hotly contested and newly drawn 8th District — where polls show Republicans can win — Kirkmeyer removed language saying she would "defend the sanctity of life" and took down a video of her speaking at an anti-abortion rally earlier this year.

The positions helped the Weld County state senator emerge from a crowded GOP primary contest, but now could hurt her in the November midterm, particularly in a district with a large Latino population that supports abortion access.

What they're saying: Kirkmeyer spokesperson Alan Philp told Axios the changes came after the campaign did "a complete redesign" of its website. 

Other issues removed were education, cost of living, agriculture and more. The site now just highlights her stances on spending, energy and crime. "We are focused on the three issues in which voters have expressed the most interest," Philp added.

Kirkmeyer now labels herself as "Colorado tough" instead of as a "conservative fighter."

Between the lines: Kirkmeyer is a prominent voice against abortion access and says she "unambiguously" believes life begins at conception. 

She wrote in a voter questionnaire: "What kind of nation and a people do not defend the most vulnerable and innocent among us? I think this issue goes to the very moral and christian foundation our country was built on."

The other side: Her Democratic opponent, state Rep. Yadira Caraveo, is a pediatrician who supports abortion access and backed a law earlier this year to codify it.

Kirkmeyer's "spent her 30 years as a politician pushing her own extreme agenda that she knows will harm hard-working Colorado families — which is exactly why she is now running away from her own long held, extremist anti-abortion views," Caraveo said in a statement.

GOP candidate Kirkmeyer scrubs abortion stance from campaign website

It's common for candidates to modify their rhetoric for general-election audiences, but this year's messaging gymnastics are next-level.

Illustration of an elephant trunk holding a pink rubber eraser.

Colorado GOP congressional candidate Barbara Kirkmeyer scrubbed her hardline anti-abortion stance from her campaign website, part of a broader overhaul to moderate her image.Why it matters: It&#x27;s longstanding practice for candidates in both parties to modify their rhetoric for general-election audiences, but this year&#x27;s messaging gymnastics are next-level, Axios&#x27; Alexi McCammond and Andrew Solender <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="write" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2022/08/31/republicans-midterms?utm_source=newsletter&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=newsletter_axiosam&amp;stream=top" data-vars-content-id="81259873-ccf6-4fc3-a5da-4a4c747d6883" data-vars-headline="GOP candidate Kirkmeyer scrubs abortion stance from campaign website" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2022/08/31/republicans-midterms?utm_source=newsletter&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=newsletter_axiosam&amp;stream=top" target="_self">write</a>.

News

Politics

Focus groups: Minnesota swing voters reject DeSantis culture wars

National

Democrats have confirmed 4 judges during Tim Scott's campaign absences

RFK Jr.: Conservatives' favorite 2024 Democrat

Focus groups: North Carolina swing voters "concerned" by Biden's age

Biden accomplishments get new life in $20 million ad campaign

topics

politics-policy

epstein-files

donald-trump

2026-midterm-elections

immigration

behind-the-curtain

race-and-equity

technology

privacy-tech-regulation

automation-and-ai

tiktok-news

big-tech

social-media

cybersecurity

economy

social-security

inflation

tariffs

federal-reserve

jobs

transportation

business

stock-market-news

retail-news

crypto

media

elon-musk

dealmaking

health

rfk-jr

drug-prices

axios-explains-abortion

public-health

world

israel

axios-explains-ukraine

iran

russia

china

energy-climate

nuclear-energy

climate-energy-policy

climate-change

extreme-weather

alternative-energy

electric-vehicles

science

emerging-tech

biomedicine

newsletters

charlotte

boulder

detroit

kansas-city

columbus

austin

dallas

atlanta

washington-dc

nw-arkansas

chicago

indianapolis

nashville

richmond

colorado-springs

houston

san-francisco

seattle

boston

des-moines

salt-lake-city

philadelphia

denver

phoenix

new-orleans

miami

twin-cities

raleigh

san-antonio

portland

san-diego

tampa-bay

cleveland

huntsville

pittsburgh

axios-local

axios-pro

axios-live

the-axios-show

Alexi McCammond

Featured stories

Focus groups: Minnesota swing voters reject DeSantis culture wars

Democrats have confirmed 4 judges during Tim Scott's campaign absences

RFK Jr.: Conservatives' favorite 2024 Democrat

Focus groups: North Carolina swing voters "concerned" by Biden's age

Biden accomplishments get new life in $20 million ad campaign