Clinton super PAC begins targeting vulnerable in GOP
Democrats looking to channel energy of Trump’s critics
Priorities USA, the main political action committee behind Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign, is rolling out a series of digital ads in an early attempt to target potentially vulnerable members of the GOP ahead of the 2018 midterm elections.
The ads, an initial buy as the group reinvents itself as a major financial investor in a gathering progressive movement, will spread the word about town hall forums and other events during next week’s congressional recess. They will direct citizens eager to engage members of Congress to events taking place in districts that Clinton won but are represented by Republicans such as Rep. Leonard Lance of New Jersey, and in swing states like Nevada, represented by Republican Sen. Dean Heller.
In the past, Democrats have held off on such spending campaigns until election year. Yet with Clinton’s loss, Republicans in control of both chambers of Congress and Democrats in control of just 13 state legislatures, officials see the need to begin a major effort early on. Further, Democrats face a daunting map in the Senate in 2018, defending 28 seats while Republicans are defending just eight.
The ads, which will run on social media and across major search engines, are the latest example of established Democratic Party-aligned organizations seeking the channel the efforts of citizens protesting President Trump’s policies. They include his travel ban targeting largely Muslim countries, his plan to repeal and replace Obamacare and his refusal to release his tax returns amid questions about his ties to Russia.
Angry Americans have been flooding town halls of members such as Rep. Jason Chaffetz, RUtah, who chairs the House oversight committee and has been criticized by Democrats as reluctant to look closely at Trump’s Russia ties and other potential conflicts of interest.
“The upcoming recess week promises to provide even more scenes of grass-roots activism
Democrats face a daunting map in the Senate in 2018, defending 28 seats while Republicans are defending just eight.
by everyday citizens concerned about our country’s future,” said Priorities USA Chairman Guy Cecil.
The ads will redirect to a landing page managed by Indivisible, a group founded by ex-congressional staffers whose online guide provides tips for how get involved in advocacy and how to reach elected representatives in the Trump era.
“Republican lawmakers who refuse to stand up to Donald Trump should be prepared to answer for that to their constituents over the coming week and beyond,” said Cecil, whose group spent $35 million on digital ads in the 2016 cycle.