Conservative group announces seven-figure ad campaign against battleground Democrats – Washington Examiner
Americans for Prosperity (AFP), a conservative political advocacy group linked to the Koch brothers, has launched a substantial advertising campaign aimed at influencing key Senate races in battleground states Montana and Pennsylvania this November. This initiative, backed by a seven-figure budget, targets Democratic Senators Jon Tester and Bob Casey, who are both perceived as vulnerable. The ads will focus on attacking the senators for their involvement in “Bidenomics,” particularly emphasizing the impact of inflation on constituents in these states. Recent polls indicate that Tester is trailing Republican challenger Tim Sheehey by 5%, while Casey has a slight lead over Dave McCormick by the same margin. AFP’s vice president, Akash Chougule, attributed the inflation crisis to broader Democratic policies, suggesting that the blame extends beyond President Biden alone. As the election approaches, Tester is distancing himself from Bidenomics and refrains from endorsing Vice President Harris.
Conservative group announces seven-figure ad campaign against battleground Democrats
Americans for Prosperity is wielding a seven-figure advertising campaign in an effort to flip two battleground senate races this November.
AFP is funding a major initiative aimed at ousting vulnerable Sens. Jon Tester (D-MT) and Bob Casey (D-PA), according to a report from the Hill.
AFP is a conservative political advocacy organization affiliated with billionaire industrialists Charles and David Koch. Its ads, which will go live in Montana and Pennsylvania in the next two weeks, will bash the senators over “Bidenomics” and focus on voters in those states who say they’re suffering from inflation.
Both Democratic senators are facing close reelection races. Republican challenger Tim Sheehey is leading Tester by 5% in the latest polling. Meanwhile, according to a new survey, Casey is looking to stave off a defeat from Dave McCormick, with Casey leading him by five points.
“Bidenomics might bear the President’s name, but make no mistake that he is far from the only one to blame for its policy failures and the inflation crisis that it has wrought,” Akash Chougule, AFP’s vice president of government affairs, said in a statement to the outlet. The AFP representative pointed to congressional Democrats and Vice President Kamala Harris, Biden’s heir apparent.
As he fights to keep his seat in the upper chamber, Tester has steered away from publicly backing Bidenomics and has yet to endorse Harris.
While he’s also in a competitive race, Casey enjoys slightly higher margins of support in his home state. The Pennsylvania Democrat backed Harris on July 21 and even campaigned with Biden before the incumbent president dropped his reelection bid.
This isn’t the first time AFP has set its sights on vulnerable senators. The Koch-backed group has attacked the two for supporting Biden’s American Rescue Plan, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the CHIPS Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act. AFP argues that these laws created and exacerbated inflation.
In May, Tester and Casey were among two Democrats the conservative group targeted in a seven-figure ad buy.
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