With health care taking shape as a key issue in next year’s election, Republican Sen. Cory Gardner of Colorado picked up a politically valuable prize this week.

Gardner was named the Champion for Children’s Health by the Children’s Hospital Association. His office cited his work on care for children with complex medical conditions, called the ACE Kids Act. The bill was married with a House version and signed into law by President Trump.

Fellow Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet, a Democrat, also was a key co-sponsor of the bill, which makes it sticky for Democrats to criticize it directly to get at Gardner.

The news of Gardner’s recognition went over poorly with his opponents, especially on Twitter, who hope to unseat Gardner and put another Democrat in the closely divided Senate.

“If Sen. Cory Gardner wants to talk about health care, let’s talk about his support for policies that would threaten coverage for children with disabilities, end Medicaid expansion, and gut health care protections for more than 750,000 Coloradans with pre-existing conditions,” Colorado Democratic Party spokesperson Alyssa Roberts told Colorado Politics on Friday. 

“He isn’t doing anything to stop Trump’s lawsuit to rip away health coverage for millions, which escalated just this week. Coloradans know exactly where Gardner stands on health care, and it’s not with us.”

The state Democratic Party sent out a press release Friday lambasting Gardner for Republican efforts to undermine President Obama’s Affordable Care Act and for being “in lockstep with Trump’s dangerous agenda.”

“When it comes to health care, Senator Gardner only cares about one thing: keeping his ultra-wealthy donors happy,” Roberts said in the statement. “Instead of being the independent senator he promised he would be, Gardner tries to feign ignorance and refuses to stand up to President Trump’s latest effort to rip health care away from Coloradans.”

Gardner, meanwhile, said he was honored to have the Children’s Hospital Association’s approval.

“It’s critical that children in Colorado and around the nation have access to quality health care,” he stated. “… Whether it’s across state lines or just down the street, every child should be able to receive the medical care that is right for them.”