Scott Powers
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is starting a million-dollar cable TV advertising campaign Thursday targeting Republican congressmen the group wants to oust, including U.S. Rep. John Mica of Winter Park.
The ads are aimed to appeal to women ages 25 and up and will run on CNN and MSNBC nationally and on other cable channels in targeted markets, including Orlando.
The DCCC intends to give a boost to its newly rolled out candidate Democrat Stephanie Murphy in Mica’s district, Florida Congressional District 7, which covers north-central Orange County and Seminole County.
It also will be seeking to boost similar Democratic candidates in other districts nationwide the DCCC is backing to oust other Republican members of Congress.
It’s the earliest TV buy the committee has ever made, and the commercials will run through the Republican National Convention.
There will be two commercials, “Standards,” and “Sidekicks,” aimed at tying the Republican brand to Donald Trump, and branding Republican members of Congress as lawmakers who have refused to stand up to the Republican presidential nominee regarding some of his comments and policies.
In Orlando, which also features another House contest backed by the DCCC, Florida’s 10th Congressional District in west Orange County, the commercials also will run on lifestyle and entertainment networks such as HGTV, Hallmark, Food Network, TNT, USA and Bravo.
In CD 10, the DCCC has been backing former Orlando Police Chief Val Demings, though there is no incumbent Republican running there, and she has three Democratic primary opponents, state Sen. Geraldine Thompson, Bob Poe and Fatima Rita Fahmy.
The winner of that primary will face Republican nominee Thuy Lowe in the general election, contesting a seat currently occupied by Republican U.S. Rep. Dan Webster of Winter Garden. Webster chose to run in CD 11 this year.
