WASHINGTON _ A Democratic Super PAC on Wednesday launched a multimillion-dollar ad campaign targeting Republicans in a dozen battleground House seats, a major early investment in what is expected to be an expensive and fiercely fought midterm election.
House Majority PAC is spending $3 million to launch a pair of digital ads focused entirely on pocketbook issues, highlighting Republican support for a partial repeal of the Affordable Care Act and the GOP-backed tax law. The economic emphasis is no accident, say leaders of the Super PAC, who vow that it will continue to fixate on pocketbook issues all the way until November.
"This is the opening pitch and a significant investment," said Charlie Kelly, House Majority PAC's executive director. "And it's a conversation we're going to be having between now and Election Day."
The ads even target a handful of seats _ including those represented by GOP Reps. Steve Chabot in Ohio's 1st Congressional District and French Hill in Arkansas's 2nd Congressional District _ generally not considered top-tier general election battlegrounds.
Other districts targeted by the ads are generally considered some of the top general election contests in November: California's 10th Congressional District, Illinois's 12th Congressional District, Kentucky's 6th Congressional District, New York's 22nd Congressional District, Minnesota's 3rd Congressional District, North Carolina's 9th Congressional District, New Jersey's 11th Congressional District, Pennsylvania's 7th Congressional District, Washington's 8th Congressional District, and Kansas's 3rd Congressional District.
The group is running two digital ads as part of the effort, one focusing on the GOP's attempted repeal of the Affordable Care Act and another focusing in the tax law.
The health care ad, citing the AARP, criticizes Republicans for backing legislation that would institute an "age tax" on seniors, driving up their costs.
"With all the noise and chaos in Washington, actions still speak louder than words," a narrator says in one example from Illinois, as images of chattering pundits plays on screen. "And his actions say, 'Mike Bost is not for you.'" (This is the second ad from HMP to deploy the visual of pundits.)
The ad focusing on the tax law accuses GOP lawmakers of approving legislation that overwhelmingly benefits the wealthy, before that saying most Americans will pay higher taxes while the deficit soars.
"It's simple," a narrator says in an example provided from Minnesota. "Eric Paulsen is costing you more."
The tax-focused ad will also run in the Kansas, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Washington districts. The health care ad will also run in the Arkansas, California, Kentucky, New York, and Ohio districts.
The ad campaign will run for 10 weeks on digital platforms such as Hulu, YouTube and Spotify.
