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Gov. Mike Pence visits Colorado Springs for the 3rd time to push Republicans to vote early

Posted at 8:34 PM, Oct 27, 2016
and last updated 2016-10-27 22:34:52-04

COLORADO SPRINGS -- For the third time in as many months, Republican Vice Presidential nominee Gov. Mike Pence visited Colorado Springs.

The top of the ticket, Donald Trump, has also visited Colorado Springs three times since late July.

"Now it's time to reach out to all of our Republican friends, and say with one voice, it's time to come home," said Pence.

Touring western states on Tuesday, Pence rallied on Wednesday evening in a former drug store turned event center in the southeast part Colorado Springs. He started in Nevada, traveled to Utah and ended in Colorado Springs, before leaving for Nebraska for more rallies on Thursday.

He was 30 minutes late, and joked that he was at dinner and Sen. Tim Kaine interrupted him five times; a jab at the Democratic Vice Presidential nominee and their interactions during the Vice Presidential debate.

"Tell your neighbors and friends with the deepest respect, this is not the time to make a statement, this is an opportunity to make a difference," said Pence.

His sentiment was for Republicans not to stay home this election. That thought was shared in the crowd, with one Trump supporter wearing a button that read, "Republicans who stay home elect Democrats."

"We still need Republicans to turn in their ballots here in El Paso County," said Patrick Davis, Trump For Colorado senior advisor.

As of Wednesday morning, 23,000 Republicans had voted early in El Paso County, compared to 14,000 Democrats and nearly 13,000 unaffiliated voters.

A new poll pushed out by the Trump campaign on Wednesday showed a neck-and-neck race in Colorado, but a blowout in El Paso County.

Axiom Strategies, which was founded by the campaign manager who led Ted Cruz's 2016 presidential run, polled nearly 1,600 Colorado voters and found Hillary Clinton leading Trump 45 percent to 43 percent, which is within the poll's 2.46 percent margin of error.

About 250 voters were polled in El Paso County, where Trump held a 50-40 edge, with three percent undecided.

Denver7 wanted to know why Trump and Pence continue to spend time in an area of the state where they likely have a solid base, with few undecided voters to sway.

"Republicans need to come home and if they're going to come home as a Republican in Colorado, you come home in Colorado Springs and El Paso County," said Davis. "You're still going to see the family in Colorado an awful lot, and in the Denver media market an awful lot between now and Election Day."

Trump's son, Eric, will be in Colorado Springs and Lakewood on Wednesday.

Pence did not make any mention of a rigged election or accepting the results of the race, which he has previously said he would, while Trump has said he would only if he wins.

"Whatever the results are in Colorado, do you accept those as legit?" Denver7 political reporter Marshall Zelinger asked Davis.

"I do. I accept the results to be legit," said Davis.

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