Leading Off:
• HI-Gov: Well, this is an interesting tactic. The RGA goes after Democrat David Ige, tying him to departing Gov. Neil Abercrombie. The narrator argues that Ige voted for $800 million in new taxes and fees, making it hard for people to make a living in the state, before praising Republican Duke Aiona.
It's nothing new to link a candidate to an unpopular figure from his party. But what's different here is that Ige challenged Abercrombie in the primary and beat him. It's pretty odd that the RGA thinks they can portray Ige as an Abercrombie ally given that Ige was the person to send Abercrombie onto retirement.
Jump below the fold for more.
Senate:
• AK-Sen: Both candidates have a new spot out. Democratic Sen. Mark Begich has a compare-and-contrast with Republican Dan Sullivan: The narrator portrays Begich as an independent voice, while Sullivan hurt Alaska as state attorney general.
On the GOP side, Sullivan's wife Julie Fate Sullivan appears on his behalf, defending Sullivan's ties to the state. She argues that he left to serve the country at the State Department and in the armed forced, and decries Begich for attacking his military service. Crossroads GPS also goes after Begich, tying him to Obama.
• AR-Sen: The NRSC argues that Democratic Sen. Mark Pryor has changed in Washington, and not in a good way.
• CO-Sen: Democratic Sen. Mark Udall goes after Republican Cory Gardner on abortion and contraceptives, arguing that Gardner wants a bill to outlaw birth control. Meanwhile, the Hunter Defense Fund spends $150,000 for Gardner.
• GA-Sen: Democrat Michelle Nunn pushes back against Republican attacks on her over immigration.
• IA-Sen: Democrats have been working hard to portray Republican Joni Ernst as someone who wants to gut Social Security. Ernst pushes back, saying she wants to protect the program for seniors like her parents. On the Democratic side, Rep. Bruce Braley stresses tax breaks to help unemployed workers. The Sierra Club and Environmental Defense Fund meanwhile go after Ernst on education and the environment.
• KS-Sen: Republican Sen. Pat Roberts goes positive, stressing his jobs record. Roberts touts his work in securing the National Bio and Agro-defense Facility. However, Slate's David Weigel notes that Roberts voted against critical funding for the NBAF in 2014.
• KY-Sen: We have another entry in the "politicians firing guns in ads" archive. Democrat Alison Grimes does some skeet shooting while describing how she's not Barack Obama. She also talks about how Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell is a Duke loving-jobs hating-asshole who can't hold a gun to save his life (I'm paraphrasing).
• LA-Sen: The DSCC goes after Republican Rep. Bill Cassidy for putting millionaires' interests far ahead of seniors.
• MI-Sen: The Environmental Defense Fund attacks Republican Terri Lynn Land on pollution.
• MN-Sen: Gabrielle Giffords' group Americans for Responsible Solutions spends $131,000 for Democratic Sen. Al Franken. On the GOP side, Mike McFadden portrays Franken as "an invisible senator with invisible results". Unmentioned: The Invisible Senator sounds like the lamest name for a superhero ever.
• NH-Sen: NextGen Climate spends another $175,000 against Republican Scott Brown.
• Senate Majority PAC: Various expenditures from the pro-Democratic group.
Gubernatorial:
• AZ-Gov: The RGA once again goes after Democrat Fred DuVal for college tuition increases.
• CT-Gov: Republican Tom Foley argues that Democratic Gov. Dan Malloy's policies are raising taxes as wages stay the same.
• FL-Gov: The Florida GOP features Republican Gov. Rick Scott's wife Ann Scott praising him.
• MA-Gov: Democrat Martha Coakley is out with her first general election ad, a pretty boring positive spot touting her plans.
• MN-Gov: The Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (the state Democratic party) goes after Republican Jeff Johnson on education cuts.
• NH-Gov: Democratic Gov. Maggie Hassan has been viewed as the clear favorite against Republican Walt Havenstein. However, Hassan evidently takes him seriously enough to run a spot attacking his business record.
House:
• AZ-02: House Majority PAC attacks Republican Martha McSally on Social Security. According to their press release, the ad will start to air for a small $67,000.
• CA-07: The DCCC hits Republican Doug Ose for enriching himself during his previous service in Congress.
• CA-52: Democratic Rep. Scott Peters ties Republican Carl DeMaio to the tea party, saying that they both oppose equal pay for women.
• CO-06: CounterPAC hits Republican Rep. Mike Coffman, arguing that the multitude of super PAC ads that are running on his behalf means he's answering to secret donors. In the past, CounterPAC has criticized politicians from both parties over transparency.
• FL-26: Florida New Majority spends $198,000 for Democratic Rep. Joe Garcia.
• MN-07: The DCCC spends $167,000 against Republican Torrey Westrom.
• MN-08: Democratic Rep. Rick Nolan goes after Republican Stewart Mills on the minimum wage. Mills attacks Nolan for being part of the mess in Washington.
• NH-02: Democratic Rep. Annie Kuster wastes no time in depicting Republican rival Marilinda Garcia as a tea party extremist.
• NJ-03: Republican Tom MacArthur has a pair of 15-second spots attacking Democrat Aimee Belgard as a lying liar who lies.
• NY-11: Republican Rep. Michael Grimm's fundraising plummeted after his April indictment, but apparently he found some money under the cushions for an ad. Grimm goes after Democrat Domenic Recchia on taxes and bridge tolls.
• TX-23: Republican Will Hurd is out with his first general election spot, contrasting his CIA service with Democratic Rep. Pete Gallego's political career. From the "Department of Things That Get Old Very Quickly", three different puns are made about Hurd's name.
• VA-10: Both candidates are on the air here. Democrat John Foust attacks Republican Barbara Comstock on abortion. Comstock's spot features retiring Republican Rep. Frank Wolf praising her record.