U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet is launching a new TV ad Monday night, tying his Republican challenger Joe O’Dea to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who earlier this summer called O’Dea the “perfect candidate” for Colorado.

“McConnell is all in on his support for O’Dea,” says the narrator in the 30-second spot, citing news reports in July that described the Kentucky senator’s enthusiasm for O’Dea after the construction company owner emerged from a tough-fought primary.

“Why?” the narrator continues as grainy, over-exposed photos of O’Dea and McConnell float across the screen.

“Because like Mitch McConnell, Joe O’Dea opposed the new law allowing Medicare to negotiate drug prices. And he’s against capping the cost of drugs for seniors. And like Mitch, O’Dea even said he supports reducing Medicare and Social Security benefits. Joe O’Dea, perfect for McConnell, wrong for Colorado.”

The new Bennet ad is set to debut statewide during ABC’s Monday Night Football broadcast featuring the Denver Broncos and the Seattle Seahawks.

Airing on ABC, ESPN and streaming platforms, the game is expected to draw a huge Colorado audience of fans anxious to watch Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson face off for the first time against the team that traded him to Denver this spring.

Bennet’s campaign manager supplied his own color commentary on the campaign’s decision to kick off the attack during the football game.

“Michael has a strong record of delivering for Colorado while his opponent has a strong record of cozying up to Mitch McConnell,” Justin Lamorte said in an email to Colorado Politics. “Launching this ad was no game-time decision. It was a clear play to tell Coloradans the truth about Joe O’Dea being too far right for Colorado.”

It’s the sixth general election TV ad Bennet has released and the second to go after O’Dea directly, following a spot release a month ago that attacked the Republican’s positions on abortion rights.

Bennet has spent about $3 million on TV ads since he went on the air in mid-July, according to ad trackers – about twice what O’Dea and groups supporting him have spent.

Mail ballots start going out in five weeks to most Colorado voters, who have until Nov. 8 to return them to county clerks.

The new Bennet ad counters the message of a recent O’Dea ad that touts the first-time candidate’s contention that he’ll “put country over party” if elected.

“I’m not focused on political parties,” O’Dea said in an ad released in late August. “I’ll do what’s right for our country.”

According to an invitation obtained by Colorado Politics, McConnell is hosting a fundraiser for O’Dea on Sept. 19, with tickets ranging from $500 to $5,000.

McConnell could be the least popular prominent politician nationally, according to polling tracked by Real Clear Politics, which found that, on average, only 24.8% of voters view the GOP leader favorably, compared to 57.5% who view him unfavorably, putting McConnell underwater by 32.7 percentage points.

That compares to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York, McConnell’s Democratic counterpart in the Senate, who is viewed favorably by 30.5% of voters and unfavorably by 46.8%, for a net unfavorable rating of 16.3 percentage points, RCP found.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a preferred bogeyman among Republicans, is viewed favorably on average by 36% of voters and unfavorably by 55.3%, landing her upside down by 19.3 percentage points, the site found.

In contrast, President Joe Biden is only 10.8 percentage points underwater on average, with 42% of voters holding a favorable view of the Democrat and 52.8% holding an unfavorable view, RCP reports. Former President Donald Trump is slightly less popular than Biden, on average, RCP found, with 40.7% viewing him favorably and 54% unfavorably, leaving the Republican with 13.3 percentage point net unfavorability.