Both parties are zeroing in on different issues in their closing arguments in the House and Senate battles, with Democrats focusing on abortion and Republicans on immigration.
According to an analysis of more than 300 television commercials by the candidates and their co-advertisements with their party committees, abortion is the most mentioned topic in Democrats’ closing ads, followed by immigration, health care, bipartisanship and taxes. The analysis looked at ads that aired Wednesday in competitive House and Senate races, tracked by AdImpact.
Immigration is a major issue for Republicans ads, followed by Vice President Kamala Harris, taxes, President Joe Biden and the character of the candidate.
Democrats take on abortion: Every Democratic campaign in the competitive Senate race raised the issue in an ad Wednesday, less than a week after Election Day.
That includes Democrats in red state races like Montana and Ohio, where Democratic Sens. John Tester and Sherrod Brown are trying to woo voters who would support former President Donald Trump.
“If there’s one thing that unites all Montanans, it’s that the federal government doesn’t want us to do anything,” Tester said directly to the camera. an announcement.
“Tim Sheehy doesn’t get it. Sheehy wants to hold politicians in Washington accountable for their decisions about women’s health. It’s not who we are as Montanans.”
Only two Senate GOP candidates — former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan and Wisconsin businessman Eric Hovde — mentioned the issue in television ads Wednesday. Hogan is running for an open seat in the deep blue state, while Hovde is challenging Democratic Sen. Tammy Baldwin.
“Here is the truth. I am against a national abortion ban,” says Hovde in an announcement With the National Republican Senatorial Committee. “In the early period of pregnancy, women should have the right to decide. We must allow exceptions. And ultimately, this issue should be decided by the people of Wisconsin, not by politicians in Washington.”
Abortion is also a top issue in Democratic ads in key House races, according to an analysis of ads in 43 races Cook Political Report with Amy Walter rates are the most competitive. But only five Republicans in competitive House races — Rep. Don Bacon of Nebraska, Reps. Brandon Williams and Mark Molinaro of New York, Matt Gunderson of California and Derrick Anderson of Virginia — released ads on the issue Wednesday.
Instead, immigration tops the list of topics mentioned most often in Republican TV ads, often with transgender women who play women’s sports being mentioned over other topics as part of an effort to paint Democratic opponents as too liberal.
In Montana, Sheehy condemned the Democratic attacks, saying on camera an announcement“Why is Jon Tester so desperate? Because on border security, inflation, the Second Amendment, and keeping America strong, John Tester is with Kamala Harris and I’m with you.”
The tester tried to stop these attacks by trying to start a place There’s a storyteller who says the Democratic senator is “working with Republicans to close the border” and that Tester is “not good for illegal immigrants.”
Immigration ranked second among the most mentioned topics in Democratic TV ads, highlighting the huge fundraising advantage Democrats have in down-ballot races where they have the resources to defend against GOP attacks on the issue.
Top of ticket
Closing arguments in Republican House and Senate races are also more likely to feature candidates at the top of the ticket: Trump and Harris, as well as Biden.
This is what the Republicans are trying to nationalize their race, as well as the party He adopted a strategy of fighting against Democratic money It involves GOP candidates and party committees teaming up on so-called hybrid ads. Candidates and party committees share the cost of such ads, but the content of the ads must focus on national themes.
Senate Republicans in particular are increasingly referring to Trump as they try to close the gap with the top of the ticket. Trump is the second most talked about topic in the GOP Senate candidate’s television ads, after immigration.
In Ohio, one of the businessmen is Bernie Moreno closed ads As Trump said, “Sherrod Brown is a radical left-wing politician. It is for broken boundaries. Bernie Moreno will stop it. He will protect our border. You need to get out and come back, Bernie Moreno.
Harris appears an advertisement For Maryland Democrat Angela Alsobrooks, the vice president is expected to win easily as Democrats vie for the Senate seat.
But only one Senate Democrat mentioned Trump in the final ad — and it wasn’t to attack the former president or the GOP nominee.
Instead, one from Democratic Sen. Bob Casey of Pennsylvania closed ads Casey has a bipartisan pair who “sided with Trump to stop NAFTA and put tariffs on China so they wouldn’t cheat.”