Leading Off:
• NH-Sen: Well, this is interesting timing. Republican
Scott Brown decries how Obama and Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen are "confused" about how to protect America from radical Islamic terrorism. The ad is running just as the Obama Administration began bombing ISIS. Weirdly, the ad goes with soft background music instead of the "OMG we're all going to die!!!" soundtrack you may expect from a spot about terrorism.
Read below the fold for more campaign ads.
Senate:
• AK-Sen: Several pro-GOP spots here today. Republican Dan Sullivan ties Democratic Sen. Mark Begich to Obama on guns. Crossroads GPS hits Begich as fiscally irresponsible, spending another $788,000 (here and here). The NRSC also criticizes Begich's record as mayor of Anchorage, continuing a recent theme we've seen in these spots.
• AR-Sen: The DSCC hits Republican Tom Cotton on Medicare once again. On the GOP side, Crossroads GPS spends $281,000.
• CO-Sen: The NRSC hits Democratic Sen. Mark Udall on Obamacare. Crossroads GPS features a woman criticizing Udall for treating women as single-issue voters, not talking about the issues that matter. It's an interesting approach, and perhaps a sign that the GOP is afraid that Democratic attempts to paint Republican Cory Gardner as an extremist on birth control and abortion are working. The Crossroads GPS ad is part of a new $1,167,000 buy.
• IA-Sen: The NRSC once again hits Democrat Bruce Braley for skipping important votes. Crossroads GPS also continues hitting Braley on environmental policies. The American Chemistry Council for their part goes positive with a boring ad for Republican Joni Ernst.
• KS-Sen: Freedom Partners continues to link independent Greg Orman to national Democrats, unsubtly arguing that "a vote for Greg Orman is one more vote for Barack Obama."
• KY-Sen: The Kentucky Opportunity Coalition ties Democrat Alison Grimes with Obama on immigration: The first half of the ad features clips of the two of them saying similar things about a pathway for citizenship, while the second part argues how this would hurt Kentucky. The buy is for a little over $1 million.
• MI-Sen: Democrat Gary Peters is the latest candidate to stress how adorably cheap he is, much to his family's frustration.
• NC-Sen: Senate Majority PAC hits Republican Thom Tillis on Medicare and student loans. On the GOP-side, Carolina Rising has two positive spots for Tillis (here and here). The group takes a page from the Democratic playbook and praises Tillis for helping a family against greedy insurance companies.
Gubernatorial:
• CT-Gov: Republican Tom Foley highlights a restaurant owner who was almost a victim of eminent domain, saying if Democratic Gov. Dan Malloy had his way she would have lost her business.
• GA-Gov: After a long absence, the RGA returns to the air here, hitting Democrat Jason Carter on jobs, education funding, and Obamacare.
• IL-Gov: Days after Republican Bruce Rauner accused Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn of letting dangerous prisoners go free, Quinn's camp has a response ad. The narrator describes how Quinn immediately reversed the release order when he learned about it, showing real leadership. Unlike a lot of response ads, it doesn't accuse Rauner of lying, though that ad probably won't be far behind.
• HI-Gov: The DGA-backed Hawaii Forward goes positive, praising Democrat David Ige's record. The RGA has already gotten involved here.
• MD-Gov: The DGA accuses Republican Larry Hogan of being an extremist on abortion and birth control.
• ME-Gov: Democrat Mike Michaud argues that he's above the fray in an increasingly negative campaign, laying out his jobs plan. Independent Eliot Cutler talks infrastructure.
• MI-Gov: The DGA hits Republican Gov. Rick Snyder on taxes hikes.
• NE-Gov: In a minute-long spot, a mother praises Republican Pete Ricketts for saving her children's' school.
• TX-Gov: Republican Greg Abbott.
• WI-Gov: That didn't take long: The RGA is accusing Democrat Mary Burke of plagiarizing her jobs plan, arguing she has no idea how to create jobs. The ad is referring to news that a former Burke adviser lifted parts of other candidates' jobs plans while writing hers, though he reportedly wrote those plans too. For her part, Burke hits Republican Gov. Scott Walker in job losses.
House:
• AR-02: Republican French Hill.
• AZ-02: Americans for Responsible Solutions praises Democratic Rep. Ron Barber on guns and for saving the A-10 jet.
• FL-02: The Environmental Defense Fund ties Republican Rep. Steve Southerland to the Koch brothers and big oil.
• HI-01: Democrat Mark Takai's spot is narrated by Illinois congresswoman Tammy Duckworth, who is a former Hawaii resident and fellow veteran.
• IL-17: Democratic Rep. Cheri Bustos (here and here).
• NJ-02: Republican Rep. Frank LoBiondo.
• DCCC: New Democratic ads in CA-26, CT-05, NE-02, NH-02, and NY-24. The most interesting target is CT-05: Republican Mark Greenberg hasn't gotten too much attention on his contest with Democratic Rep. Elizabeth Esty, but this Obama 54-45 seat has always been on the radar.
• NRCC: New Republican spots in AZ-01, AZ-02, CA-07, CO-06, FL-02, GA-12, MN-07, NY-01, and WV-03.