The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is launching a major ad blitz to target four Senate races and 17 House races, the pro-business group announced Wednesday.
The television ad campaign — the group's third roll-out of the cycle — will focus on lawmakers' records on business issues as scored by the Chamber, and will be paired with a grassroots mobilization effort that the groups said will be the largest in its history.
“The Chamber is engaging more aggressively than ever to educate the public about the leaders who stand up for free enterprise, and those who support big government policies," said Tom Donohue, the Chamber's president and CEO.
On the Senate side, the Chamber will target incumbent Democrats up for reelection in Missouri, Ohio and Florida, plus the open seat in Hawaii, where Republicans landed a top-tier recruit in former Gov. Linda Lingle (R-Hawaii).
In the House, the ad blitz is heavily concentrated on New York districts, where redistricting has altered the map for both Democrats and Republicans. Republican Reps. Chris Gibson, Ann Marie Buerkle and Nan Hayworth will see ads in their districts, as will Democratic Reps. Tim Bishop, Bill Owens, Kathy Hochul and Louise Slaughter.
Other members whose districts the Chamber will target include Reps. John Barrow (D-Ga.), Bobby Schilling (R-Ill.), Dan Benishek (R-Mich.), Bill Johnson (R-Ohio) and Chip Cravaack (R-Minn.). The group will also air ads in the Rhode Island district where Republican Brendan Doherty is challenging Rep. David Cicilline (D), as well as the open Florida districts where former Rep. Alan Grayson (D-Fla.) and Democrat Lois Frankel are running and the open Illinois district in which Republican Jason Plummer is running.
