U.S. Rep. Kat Cammack (R-FL), a notorious election conspiracist, has endorsed fellow Republican Barbara Kirkmeyer, who’s running to represent Colorado’s newest congressional district.
Cammack’s embrace of Kirkmeyer raises questions, in part, because Kirkmeyer has said she believes the 2020 election was legitimately won by President Joe Biden.
Kirkmeyer’s campaign did not return an email asking why she would accept the endorsement of an ardent election conspiracist given her stance on the issue.
Cammack is among members of Congress who refused to certify the 2020 election, claims that abortion is about hurting women, and opposes gun restrictions and legislation to hold police accountable.
In addition to her vote against certifying the 2020 presidential election results, Cammack affirmed that the January 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol only reinforced her opposition to Pennsylvania and Arizona’s election results.
“Especially after tonight’s unacceptable breach of the people’s house, I am furthermore resolved in the fact that we as representatives of the people must take a stand for every American’s right to a free and fair election, as guaranteed by the Constitution,” she stated on the House floor.
Cammack announced her endorsement of Kirkmeyer, a state lawmaker, in August.
Kirkmeyer gained national attention as Weld County commissioner when she spearheaded a movement by eleven northern Colorado counties to secede from the state. Known as the 51st Initiative, Kirkmeyer fought for secession on the platform that Colorado’s environmental and economic policies did not represent the interests of the state’s rural voters. Among these, Kirkmeyer pointed to the legalization of same-sex marriage, expanding firearm regulations, and marijuana legalization.
In a recent interview, she said the effort fizzled after major floods hit the region, presumably highlighting the region’s reliance on state dollars.
“That was in 2013 and — remember the major flooding that we had as well, so, I think that just kind of changed things around and kind of — you know, we lost a little bit of momentum there,” Kirkmeyer told conservative pundit Jon Caldara.
The initiative failed in six of the eleven counties.
In this election, Kirkmeyer has cited border security, abortion, and national debt among her primary concerns, as well as crime and economic issues, like inflation.
As solutions, Kirkmeyer proposed funding for the construction of the border wall and reform of Medicaid and other “entitlement programs” through a “block grant” system, which would effectively limit the number of low-income individuals who qualify for coverage, extend wait times, and close open enrollment periods.
Kirkmeyer has vehemently opposed a bill that would enshrine the right to an abortion in the Colorado Constitution and supported the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.
Kirkmeyer has long established herself as an extreme anti-abortion activist, with exceptions only to save the life of the mother, in a state where a majority of voters have long supported the right to choose.
Colorado’s 8th Congressional District (CD-08) is the state’s newest congressional district, encompassing the region northeast of Denver into Greeley. CD-08 contains the largest number of Hispanic individuals per capita compared to all other districts in the state.
Although CD-08 leans Republican in the upcoming election, according to political analysts, 44% of active voters are unaffiliated, and 28% are registered Democrats, followed by 25% registered Republicans.
A June Global Strategy Group poll showed Kirkmeyer winning by 44% to 36% against her Democratic opponent, Yadira Caraveo. However, the latest Global Strategy Group Poll suggests that Kirkmeyer’s conservative stance on abortion may ostracize voters.
The youngest Republican woman in the House of Representatives, Cammack was born and raised in Colorado, graduating with her Bachelor of Arts from the Metropolitan State University in Denver. Cammack maintains ties with Republican legislators across the state, with El Paso County Republicans hosting a campaign fundraiser for her in the spring of 2021.
