Colorado's Republican U.S. Senate nominee Joe O'Dea said Monday he wants to square off with Democratic U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet in at least three televised debates across the state this fall, including an early September debate on the Western Slope.

The Bennet campaign plans to announce which debates the two-term incumbent would participate in "closer to the election," a campaign spokesman told Colorado Politics.

O'Dea has confirmed he'll show up for the Sept. 10 debate at Western Slope advocacy organization Club 20's fall meeting in Grand Junction and is reviewing multiple other invites, his campaign said. In a release, O'Dea proposed debating "in a red town, a purple town ... and a blue town." The campaign said the Republican candidate would also welcome debates in Greeley or Durango, Pueblo, Fort Collins, or Boulder. 

“Club 20 is a Colorado tradition that I hope Michael will attend again like he has before," O'Dea said in a written statement. He added that he hopes his opponent agrees to "debate the issues in front of the voters outside of Denver.”

Bennet's campaign manager, Justin Lamorte, said to expect word on debates before long. 

“Michael is working hard to deliver for Coloradans. Last week he passed a law to improve supply chains and now he’s fighting to pass a bill that will lower drug costs, make big corporations pay their fair share in taxes, reduce the deficit, and fight climate change — a bill that O’Dea and McConnell oppose," Lamorte said.

"Michael is running a strong ground game and focused on campaigning across Colorado this month. Michael looks forward to announcing his debate decisions closer to the election,” Lamorte added. 

This year's Club 20 debates, set to include a full day of exchanges between legislative, congressional and statewide candidates are co-sponsored by Colorado Mesa University and the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel. Organizers say they plan to stream the proceedings on the internet, with some of the most prominent races possibly airing on a local TV station.

Bennet was the last top-ticket Democrat to appear at one of Club 20's post-Labor Day debates when he participated in a three-way debate with Republican Darryl Glenn and Libertarian nominee Lily Tan Williams during his successful run for a second term in 2016. Since then, leading Democratic candidates have skipped the event, long considered the unofficial kickoff of Colorado's fall campaign season.

Then-gubernatorial nominee Jared Polis and Democratic U.S. Senate nominee John Hickenlooper declined to attend in 2018 and 2020, respectively, and Polis' campaign said last month he won't attend this year's Club 20 debate, citing an unspecified conflict.

Numerous consortiums of media organizations, including The Gazette of Colorado Springs, Colorado Politics and the Denver Gazette, have issued debate invitations ahead of the November election.