Super-PAC launches ad blitz for Balderson

WASHINGTON — A super-PAC affiliated with House Speaker Paul Ryan has launched an aggressive $250,000 ad buy supporting state Sen. Troy Balderson in his bid to replace Rep. Pat Tiberi in Congress.

The Congressional Leadership Fund (CLF) will run two 30-second spots over the next 10 days. One, “Monica,” features the story of Ohioan Monica Batteiger, who discusses her son’s opioid addiction and talks about Balderson’s work on the issue. The other, “Burden,” talks about Balderson’s support for the recent GOP tax law, and compares Democrat Danny O’Connor, who is running against Balderson, to House Balderson Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi. O’Connor is the Franklin County recorder.

The ads come as the CLF also opens an office in the 12th Congressional District — the 35th office the super-PAC has set up to support GOP House candidates across the country. It’s the second such office in Ohio. The CLF set up one for Rep. Steve Chabot in Cincinnati as well. The newest office will be staffed by one full-time worker who will enlist volunteers to knock on 500,000 doors by Election Day. The special election is scheduled for Aug. 7.

The model, unique among super-PACs, adheres closely to the design that CLF Executive Director Corry Bliss used as the campaign manager for Sen. Rob Portman, R–Ohio, in 2016: Ads targeted to issues of local importance to voters paired with an aggressive grassroots effort.

In a prepared statement, Bliss said Balderson “has been a leader for Ohio families, working tirelessly to cut Ohio’s deadly opioid epidemic and promising to protect the middle- class tax cut, whereas Danny is a cheerleader for the Pelosi agenda. Ohioans deserve better than Danny O’Connor and CLF looks forward to illustrating the clear contrast between him and Troy Balderson in this special election.”

Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee spokesman Jacob Peters called the early ad blitz an acknowledgement that GOP candidates are in trouble.

“It’s a clear sign of desperation that Speaker Paul Ryan’s super-PAC is having to swoop in this early to prop up another flawed nominee in a district that President ( Donald) Trump carried by more than 11 percent,” he said. “It shouldn’t come as a surprise — it took more than a million dollars in spending by Washington Republicans and special interests just to carry Balderson through his messy primary.”