Inflation-Focused TV Ad Targets Arizona Democrat After Primary

A group aligned with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is targeting Sen. Mark Kelly with a TV ad accusing the Arizona Democrat of casting votes that directly contributed to inflation.

The spot was scheduled to begin airing Wednesday, the day after Arizona’s GOP voters went to the polls to select a nominee to take on Kelly. The senator, who was first elected in a 2020 special election, faced no primary opposition.

The ad, part of a $5.2 million buy, is sponsored by the nonprofit One Nation, which is run by former McConnell (R-Ky.) chief of staff Steven Law.

Screenshot of a One Nation TV ad hitting the Arizona airwaves Wednesday.

The large buy underscored that Republicans view Arizona as critical to their bid to take back control of the Senate and plan to invest considerable sums in the state.

In the spot, which was first obtained by Bloomberg Government, a mom of four teenagers is depicted as bemoaning the rising price of food and gasoline and faults Kelly for voting for “all of President Biden’s reckless spending” in the $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package (Public Law 117-2) that “caused this mess.”

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It also cites Associated Press reporting showing the law funded state and local governments’ construction of a Florida hotel and a ski slope in Iowa.

The spot then urges voters to tell Kelly to “stop supporting Biden’s reckless spending,” an apparent reference to the budget reconciliation bill (H.R. 5376) that was negotiated by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), and which Democrats hope to pass in the coming days.

Kelly on Tuesday said he was still reviewing the reconciliation bill but argued it would lower inflation.

“It’s important we get this done,” he said.

According to AdImpact, Kelly has already spent $5.8 million on TV ads boosting his re-election, funded by a campaign account totaling $24.8 million as of July 13.

Ellen M. Gilmer in Washington also contributed to this story.

With assistance from Alexander Cohen

To contact the reporter on this story: Zach C. Cohen in Washington at zcohen@bloombergindustry.com

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Bennett Roth at broth@bgov.com; Kyle Trygstad at ktrygstad@bloombergindustry.com