Koch political arm endorses Colorado Sen. Gardner

Americans for Prosperity (AFP) Action, the political wing of billionaire mega-donor Charles Koch’s network, endorsed vulnerable Sen. Cory Gardner (R-Colo.) for reelection on Tuesday.

In an op-ed in The Colorado Sun, AFP Action Senior Adviser Jesse Mallory touted Garner’s bipartisanship on issues like immigration.

{mosads}”Faced with a stalemate among Congress, the White House and the federal courts over the Deferred Action on Childhood Arrivals program that protected undocumented immigrants brought to this country as children, sometimes referred to as ‘Dreamers,’ Gardner took a substantial political risk,” wrote Mallory.

Gardner, the former chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, is a prime target for Democrats, who control every other major statewide office in Colorado.

His stance on immigration is similar to that of former Colorado Rep. Mike Coffman (R), who lost his seat to Rep. Jason Crow (D) in 2018.

AFP Action is a vocal supporter of permanent legal status for Dreamers, particularly through the Libre Initiative, its Hispanic-oriented grass-roots organization.

Gardner has also supported marijuana legalization, criminal justice reform and limitations on presidential tariff authority.

In a memo earlier this month, Americans for Prosperity CEO Emily Seidel said the group was open to endorsing Democrats or independents for the 2020 cycle.

So far, apart from Gardner, AFP Action has endorsed two other GOP senators, John Cornyn (Texas) and Thom Tillis (N.C.).