It looks like a national campaign aimed at preserving clean energy tax credits in legislation making its way through Congress is no longer targeting U.S. Rep. Gabe Evans, a consistent supporter of the credits, though the advocacy group behind the TV and digital ads isn’t saying.

An Evans spokeswoman told Colorado Politics it only makes sense that the campaign stopped running the ads, since her boss has a solid record of backing the tax breaks in question — a position Evans reiterated in a joint statement to Republican leaders issued the same day the ads appeared.

Using the slogan “Protect Our Jobs,” a newly formed group on Tuesday launched what organizers described as a nearly six-figure, week-long ad campaign urging viewers to tell Evans to “draw the line” in the face of attempts by some House GOP lawmakers to repeal a host of tax credits that support wind, solar, battery and other clean energy technologies.

Part of a multi-million dollar campaign that also included a national cable buy and ads airing in the districts of another eight Republicans, the Evans ad warned that “some in Congress want to end these energy investments and let jobs like these go to China.”

The advocacy group told Colorado Politics that Evans’ 8th Congressional District could be home to nearly 500 new green energy jobs stemming from tax credits initially authorized by the Biden administration under the Inflation Reduction Act.

Members of a House committee marking up a portion of the Republicans’ massive tax and spending legislation — dubbed the “One Big, Beautiful Bill” by President Donald Trump — have set their sights on rolling back back or eliminating many of those credits.

The ad’s narrator concluded by saying: “Congressman Evans, when Washington tries to kill Colorado jobs, that’s where you need to draw the line.”

It turn out, however, that Evans has been drawing the line all along.

The first-term Republican from Fort Lupton, a member of the powerful House Energy and Commerce Committee, not only campaigned on an “all-of-the-above” energy strategy but has been sponsoring legislation and signing on to letters and statements calling for the clean energy tax credits to be preserved since he took office in January, an Evans aide noted.

“Congressman Gabe Evans has been consistent in his support for keeping clean energy tax credits in place,” Evans spokeswoman Delanie Bomar said in a text message. “These tax credits are critical for fueling job growth and improving the economy within Colorado and across the U.S.”

Late Wednesday, after the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee moved forward with a bill that would restrict and begin to phase out the tax credits, Evans joined a statement led by U.S. Rep. Jen Kiggins, a Virginia Republican, warning that the approach could strangle investments in clean energy technology.

“We must ensure certainty for current and future energy investments to meet the nation’s growing power demand and protect our constituents from higher energy costs,” said the GOP lawmakers, adding that “the last thing any of us want is to provoke an energy crisis or cause higher energy bills for working families.”

In addition to Kiggins and Evans, the statement was signed by a dozen other, mostly moderate Republicans, including U.S. Rep. Jeff Hurd, a freshman lawmaker from Grand Junction.

Politico noted that the statement “stopped short of vowing to reject the party-line package if it isn’t changed before it moves to the House floor” but added that the lawmakers’ pressure could “give cover” to Senate Republicans who say they plan to restore come of the credits when the bill makes it to their chamber.

A spokesperson for Protect Our Jobs told Colorado Politics late Wednesday that while the group was glad that Evans had joined Kiggins’ statement, it was his vote that ultimately matters.

“We are encouraged to see that Rep. Evans signed a letter in favor of retaining the clean energy tax credits that are supporting jobs, business growth and lowered costs for his constituents,” the spokesperson said in a statement. “We look forward to seeing him take the next step and vote no on this catastrophic bill unless those changes are made.”

The group’s spokesperson wouldn’t say on Thursday whether the TV ad featuring Evans had stopped airing. According to the Facebook Ad Library, however, the identical digital ad targeting Evans was listed as inactive by early Thursday after having been active on the site for just five hours.

The head of Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions, a nonprofit that works with Republican lawmakers to promote a free-market approach to energy innovation, told Colorado Politics in a statement that Evans has demonstrated that he’s an “unequivocal champion.”

“Rep. Gabe Evans is a strong energy leader driving smart policy on behalf of all Coloradans,” said Heather Reams, the group’s president. “As a signer of recent letters to House leadership emphasizing the importance of clean energy tax credits, and most recently joining more than a dozen Republicans to ensure certainty for current and future energy projects, Evans has showcased he is willing to fight for clean energy. He is a proven, unequivocal champion of an all-of-the-above energy strategy.”