Republican congressional candidate Barb Kirkmeyer blames “soft-on crime Democrats” for a recent spike in Colorado deaths caused by a synthetic opioid in a digital ad released by her campaign on Wednesday.

The state senator from Brighton, one of five Republicans running in Colorado’s newly created 8th Congressional District, accuses “woke liberals” and their GOP allies of “killing Coloradans” by supporting a 2019 bipartisan state law that reduced penalties for possession of 4 grams or less of some illegal drugs – including fentanyl – to a misdemeanor.

Critics including Kirkmeyer say the law needs to be revised because even tiny amounts of fentanyl can be deadly, with 4 grams considered enough to kill 2,000 people.

State lawmakers have been huddling for months to come up with legislation in response to calls from law enforcement and prosecutors for better tools to combat the fentanyl crisis.

Overdose deaths tied to the drug in Colorado more than tripled over two years, from 147 deaths in 2019 to 709 in 2021, according to Kirkmeyer, who had planned to introduce her own fentanyl-related bill but was denied permission by Democratic leadership. 

“They won’t say it, but I will: Woke liberals are killing Coloradans, and Republicans helped them do it,” says Kirkmeyer in the new digital ad.

“Deaths are on the rise because soft-on-crime Democrats decriminalized fentanyl, allowing drug dealers to walk free,” she says. “It’s outrageous, and I’ll put an end to it.”

A spokesman for Kirkmeyer said her campaign plans to spend “at least several thousand dollars” running the 30-second ad on Facebook and other digital platforms.

The other Republicans running in the 8th CD, which covers portions of Adams, Weld and Larimer counties north of the Denver metro area, are Weld County Commissioner Lori Saine, Thornton Mayor Jan Kulmann, and first-time candidates Tyler Allcorn, an Army Special Forces veteran, and Giulianna “Jewels” Gray, a local business owner. The Democrats running are state Rep. Yadira Caraveo and Adams County Commissioner Charles “Chaz” Tedesco.

Colorado’s primary election is June 28.

State Rep. Shane Sandridge, a Colorado Springs Republican and one of the 2019 law’s lead sponsors, recently took issue with those trying to make political hay with the 2019 bill, telling Colorado Public Radio that anyone dealing or planning to distribute illegal drugs – including fentanyl – can still be charged with felonies.

“This is politics. It’s a political year, it’s a voting year,” he said, noting that some critics have been going after the bill’s Democratic sponsors by saying “that they kill people due to this bill” in an attempt to score poltiical points.

“I don’t care what party you’re in. Just tell the truth,” added Sandridge, who last week ended his reelection campaign for a third term.

Critics of the law, however, say that low-level dealers trafficking in fentanyl have learned how to evade the law by carrying just under the legal limit that would trigger a felony charge.

Colorado Politics reported Wednesday that a comprehensive, bipartisan bill dealing with fentanyl is in the works and could be introduced by the end of the week.