In a new television ad blitz, the liberal grassroots group MoveOn.org Political Action is releasing 28 new TV spots in various toss up Senate and House races across the country. The ads take aim at Republican candidates who have benefited from “corporate front-group spending,” as the organization has stepped up its fight against corporate money in politics following the Supreme Court’s ruling in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission.
The ads, which use a single template for all 28 races, are titled “Our ad.” They feature pictures of MoveOn members holding up signs, reiterating the narrator’s script: “This ad is not paid for by the corporate front groups and oil billionaires who are trying to buy this election. This is our ad made by hard working Americans who live right here in [name of contest’s state] and we have one simple message. [Name of Republican candidate] is backed by one of those front groups, and if he’s on their side, then he’s sure not on ours. Vote [name of Democratic candidate].”
The organization took out these ads in eight Senate races and 20 House races. That includes the California, Colorado, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Nevada, Missouri and Washington Senate races, along with Congressional races like Virginia’s 5th District, both New Hampshire districts and Florida’s 8th District.
The Illinois Senate race and Virginia’s 5th Congressional district will be running at heavier rates than all other ads, as these contest’s are home to MoveOn’s declared “Progressive Heroes”.
In Illinois, Democratic state Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias and Republican Rep. Mark Kirk are squaring off in a very hotly contested fight. The polls show a near deadlock, as no independently-conducted survey in the last two months has seen the matchup produce a margin greater than four points.
In Virginia’s 5th Congressional District, Republican nominee Robert Hurt currently leads Democratic Rep. Tom Perriello in the polls. The TPM Poll Average has the GOP hopeful ahead with 49.2%, versus Perriello’s 40.2% and independent Jeffrey Clark’s 2.5%. The freshmen Democrat has been considered quite vulnerable for some time, following his 2008 swing district victory.
The entire list of contests that MoveOn will be running ads in is: CA, CO, IL, PA, OH, NV, MO and WA Senate races, along with AZ-8, NH-01, NY-19, NY-20, VA-05, WA-02, WA-03, NM-02, CO-03, NV-03, NH-2, NM-01, PA-03, IN-09, MI-07, FL-08, FL-24, IL-11, PA-10 and WI-08 House races.
