California Democrat Ami Bera opened his TV ad campaign with a spot that accuses Rep. Dan Lungren (R-Calif.) of "double-dipping into taxpayer money to fund his salary and lavish pension."
"Californians deserve to know who Lungren has been looking out for during his 30-year political career: himself,” said Lucinda Guinn, Bera's campaign manager, in a statement accompanying the ad's release.
Bera, as a member of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee's Red to Blue program, is one of his party's top prospects this cycle.
The first-time candidate had a financial advantage over Lungren as of the last reporting period. The Republican incumbent reported having $800,000 in cash on hand at the end of June, compared to $1.14 million for Bera. The congressman spent more than $1.3 million on his reelection in 2008.
Rep. Harry Mitchell (D-Ariz.) is getting hit for being "desperate" to stay in Congress by the same opponent who wanted to defeat him and go to Washington in 2008.
Mitchell is one of several incumbents embroiled in a grudge match with the opponent he faced last cycle during a more favorable national environment. Mitchell defeated Republican David Schweikert by 9 points in 2008, but the two-term Democrat's considered somewhat of an underdog this time around with the momentum and energy building on the Republican side.
The announcer in Schweikert's new TV ad says Mitchell is "running false ads because he's desperate to stay in Washington."
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has reserved airtime in Phoenix, which could be used to reinforce Mitchell, who had $835,000 banked at the start of August. Schweikert reported close to $225,000 cash on hand at the same time.
Illinois Republican Mark Kirk's Senate campaign sought to highlight the positive new TV ad it released last week. Despite continued heated exchanges between the candidates, the 30-second positive didn't mention Alexi Giannoulias, Kirk's Democratic opponent, at all.
"In a country where too many just vote the party line, there are only a few thoughtful, independent leaders who do what's right for us," the female announcer said in Kirk's ad.
But that wasn't the extent of the congressman's new ad campaign. Kirk also released a TV ad last week that hit Giannoulias for wanting to raise taxes. The Kirk campaign did not publicize the ad, but the Giannoulias camp noted its release, saying the move was another sign Kirk "can't be trusted."
Democrat Colleen Hanabusa is trailing Rep. Charles Djou (R-Hawaii) in money raised and recent polls, but her latest ad plays like she's ahead.
In the 30-second spot, released on Thursday in Hawaii, Hanabusa speaks directly to the camera and doesn't mention Djou, who defeated her in the May special election for the seat. "I've never been known as a flashy politician; pretty much what you see is what you get," Hanabusa says in the ad.
The take-it-or-leave-it approach may not be the best one for Hanabusa as even the Democratic leadership wasn't satisfied with what it saw with her performance during the special election and chose to back former Rep. Ed Case (D-Hawaii).
Republicans had some fun with Hanabusa's new ad.
"If Hawaii families get what they see from Hanabusa, they'll see more of their hard-earned money leaving their own pocket to be spent recklessly by the federal government," Joanna Burgos, a spokeswoman for the National Republican Congressional Committee, said in a statement.
Hanabusa recently closed the fundraising deficit she had with Djou. The Democrat raised $330,000 in the last reporting period, according to her pre-primary filing. Djou raised $205,000 during the same time. Hanabusa now trails Djou by less than $25,000 cash on hand, having $403,000 banked for the general compared to $427,000 for Djou.
A pollconducted by the Tarrance Group for Djou's camp in July had the Republican leading Hanabusa 50 percent to 42.
Republicans are pressuring local TV stations not to air campaign ads for Democratic candidates or their allies.
There's been a "pattern of lies, distortions, and falsehoods being pushed by Democratic organizations, candidates, and allies," according to the National Republican Congressional Committee, which asked station managers to "exercise due diligence" when deciding to air campaign commercials this fall.
"As station manager, you are certainly in no way obligated to air these ads and we would encourage you to exercise due diligence in investigating claims and accusations made before airing any ads created by Democrat organizations, candidates, or allies," Jessica Furst, general counsel for the NRCC, wrote in a letter sent Thursday to station managers in media markets where Democrats have reserved air time.
Furst cites a Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee ad aired against GOP Rep. Charles Djou before the May special-election vote in Hawaii. She also cites ads by Reps. Zack Space (D-Ohio) and Ben Chandler (D-Ky.) , the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees and other liberal groups.
"We request that you exercise your right, consistent with FCC regulations, to reject any attempt by a candidate, political party, or third-party group to purchase time for an advertisement that communicates misleading and blatantly false messages such as those discussed above," Furst wrote.
"In most cases, you can insist that false statements be corrected before your station runs the ad. We trust that you agree that advertisements containing material misstatements of fact intended to deceive voters have no place on your station's airwaves."
Gov. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) is wasting no time going after his Republican opponent in the state's special election for Senate, taking aim at businessman John Raese with his campaign's first TV ad.
It's a no-frills 30-second spot with Manchin looking straight into the camera and hitting Raese for running a negative campaign.
"This campaign has just begun and John Raese is attacking me just like he attacked Senator Byrd," Manchin says in the ad. "Washington is filled with people like John Raese who tear other people down. No wonder we're in this mess."
The popular governor was expected to have an easy road in the special election after Rep. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) decided against challenging him. But Raese is largely self-funding his bid and has already spent heavily on TV ads. The latest Rasmussen poll in the race only gave Manchin a six-point lead.
Manchin and Raese are battling for the right serve out the remainder of the term of the late Sen. Robert Byrd (D).
In yet another sign that the midterm playing field is rapidly expanding, Rep. Phil Hare (D-Ill.) is launching an ad hitting his Republican opponent, businessman Bobby Schilling.
Hare was first elected in 2006 and didn't run a single campaign ad during the 2008 cycle when he ran unopposed for reelection.
Republicans have been touting Schilling's chances, releasing an internal poll in late August that claimed Schilling was just two points behind the incumbent.
Hare's ad hits Schilling over a proposed trade deal with South Korea, which Schilling backs. "First, Washington sent our jobs to Mexico," Hare says in the ad. "Then, they gave most favored nation status to China and good American jobs like these disappeared."
Schilling’s campaign manager told the Quad-City Times the ad is a sign that Schilling is closing in on Hare in the Democratic-leaning district.
Ohio Senate candidate Lee Fisher (D) waited until after Labor Day to release his first TV ad of the campaign, and it's not a gentle biographical introduction.
The lieutenant governor goes straight after Republican rival Rob Portman's Washington resume, using his first ad since the May primary to link the former congressman to George W. Bush and China.
"Congressman Rob Portman knows how to grow the economy … in China," the announcer says in the spot. "On his watch as Bush's trade czar our deficit with China exploded, sending a 100,000 Ohio jobs overseas."
The ad, which starts airing Thursday, was produced by AKPD Message and Media, according to a Fisher spokeswoman.
It is "a significant statewide buy … that encompasses more than cable," Lynne Bowman, Fisher's campaign manager, said on a conference call with reporters.
She defended the decision to wait until September to go up on the air.
"We wanted to save our resources and our time on TV until after Labor Day, when we think it will be most effective for the campaign," Bowman said.
Portman has owned the airwaves since the primary, having released four TV ads without a response from Fisher. This is the Democrat’s first attempt at changing the conversation.
Recent polls show he needs to respond: A survey for the Columbus Dispatch had him trailing Portman by 13 points.
New Hampshire Senate candidate Paul Hodes (D) compares Washington to a hotdog eating contest on the Lake Winnipesaukee Pier in his latest TV ad.
"This is what I see every day in Congress," Hodes, a two-term member of the House, says as he strolls in front of a row of five men scarfing down hotdogs.
Hodes had been hitting Republican Kelly Ayotte in his earlier TV spots, but he switched to a more positive tone as the GOP Senate primary became more competitive.
Former Georgia Gov. Roy Barnes (D) unleashed a hard-hitting attack ad Tuesday against former Rep. Nathan Deal (R) in the state's race for governor.
Barnes is seizing on the recent flap over Deal's tax returns, which the Republican released last week amid pressure from his opponent.
Deal resigned his House seat in March to focus on his campaign for governor, but the retirement also came after the Office of Congressional Ethics said he had improperly described income from his family's salvage business.
The 30-second spot from Barnes charges that "secrets are hidden in the details" of Deal's returns.
"That's why he resigned from Congress at midnight," the ad's narrator says. "Nathan Deal — too corrupt, even for Congress."
Deal narrowly won a runoff last month over Karen Handel for the right to take on Barnes. Deal received some prominent backing from two rumored Republican presidential hopefuls — former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee.
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