Republican businesswoman Deborah Flora has announced a run for Senate challenging incumbent Democratic Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO).
Flora, president and founder of Parents United America, said she was running to combat increasing crime, high inflation, the border crisis, the national debt, and the “political indoctrination pervading our schools.”
“I’m entering this race to stand up for the common ground of common sense that unites us,” Flora said, “With out-of-control inflation, skyrocketing crime, a humanitarian disaster at the border, political indoctrination pervading our schools, and the devastating Biden/Bennett agenda that will burden future generations with trillions of dollars in new debt—we are indeed a nation in crisis.”
In her Senate announcement and on her website, Flora emphasized her record as a businesswoman and her role as a wife and mother.
“In Washington, career politicians like Bennet and Biden put special interests over the hard-working individuals in Colorado. I am a small business owner, a wife and a mom. I have a proven record of standing strong for our shared values from the School Board to the State House, and now I am ready to stand for all of us in the U.S. Senate.”
Growing up as the daughter of an officer in the Air Force, Flora has a diverse career in conservative politics, hosting a Denver radio show and working with the Colorado GOP Communications Committee.
“Despite those that want to divide us, I believe the majority of Coloradans truly want the same thing: to pursue our dreams, run our business, and provide for our families. We want a great education for our children and to be able to raise them in safety and security,” she said.
The mission of her organization, Parents United America, is to promote the idea that parents, not the government, should have primary responsibility and authority over their children. Earlier this year, she took aim at a Colorado school district’s equity program.
“We don’t need a more transparent view of a policy that is fundamentally flawed at its heart,” she said during a public meeting, according to Fox. “It divides students into groups based on their race, and let’s face it, racism to fight racism is still racism.”
Her opponent, Senator Michael Bennet, has been in office since 2010 after being appointed to fill a vacancy. Bennet is seeking a third term in 2022.
Bennet is an outspoken supporter of abortion and opposed then-President Trump’s executive order banning Critical Race Theory and white privilege training from federal departments.
At the time, he sent a letter to Trump administration officials explaining his concerns with Trump’s CRT ban.
“Training sessions on diversity, equity, and inclusion are important in bringing forward the voices of underrepresented individuals. Rather than stoking divisiveness, diversity training sessions seek to inform how the world affects those of different races,” he said. “Public servants require an understanding of the unique experiences of our nation’s individuals to adequately serve the public.”
Following the implementation of the Texas Heartbeat Act, Bennet vowed to fight for everyone to have “reproductive justice.”
“Allowing the Texas abortion ban to move forward is a direct threat to women’s rights not only in Texas, but across the country. I will never stop fighting for reproductive justice for every single person,” he tweeted.
Bennet’s seat is one of 34 up for election in 2022.