The special election in New York’s 23rd District has just barely started, and a date hasn’t been formally set — in fact, former Rep. John McHugh (R) only just resigned yesterday, in order to become President Obama’s Secretary of the Army — but the TV ads are already airing from both sides.
Democratic candidate Bill Owens, an attorney and Air Force veteran — who was also a registered independent before launching his campaign — has this ad introducing himself to voters. “In all, I’ve helped to attract over 2,000 jobs to upstate New York,” Owens says. “I’m running for Congress, and I approved this message, because my family taught me to fight for what matters, and right now, we need to fight for upstate New York.”
Meanwhile, the NRCC has a new pair of attack ads — one on TV, one on radio — against Owens and promoting their own candidate, state Assemblywoman Dede Scozzafava, by tying Owens to the right’s most frequently invoked menace, Nancy Pelosi, and also to President Obama.
Here’s the TV ad:
“Bill Owens is ready to back higher taxes, and Pelosi’s big spending,” the announcer says. “So enjoy your gift — from Pelosi with love.”
The Albany Times-Union reports that there’s also a radio ad. It’s an adaptation of the TV ad, though it takes advantage of the expanded length to also attack President Obama. “Owens is lining up the big-spending Obama approach to health care,” the announcer says “and he says it’ll be his job in Congress to support Obama on and the economy and health care.”
