A.G. Gancarski
Fox News viewers are being treated to the first of an expected deluge of political ads in the Republican primary for Florida’s 6th Congressional District.
The first spot in the district that includes Volusia, Flagler, and southern St. Johns counties is from a political action committee targeting candidate Mike Waltz and supporting John Ward.
Via Advertising Analytics: “American Jobs and Growth PAC” bought $19,000 in ad time on Fox News Channel. Spots will run from Monday to Friday.
The PAC is opposed to Waltz, per the Federal Elections Commission webpage for the committee.
The fifteen-second ad features a Waltz voice-over from the 2016 campaign, saying “look at Donald Trump‘s real record and stop him now,” with graphics proclaiming Trump’s “real record” as being the tax cut package and appointing Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court.
The committee has only begun to spend money, per its list of contributions.
John Foley, a business associate of Ward, leads all donors with $100,000 contributed in what thus far is a ~$140,000 nest egg. Ward’s own sister was the committee’s first donor.
Waltz’s campaign reacted, per spokesman Tim Baker.
“It’s very disappointing that Massachusetts liberal John Ward is starting his campaign with hypocritical negative attacks on a decorated combat veteran over which Republican he supported in a primary when Ward has a history of giving money to Democrats. The voters of District 6 deserve better,” Baker lamented.
Ward’s campaign didn’t comment when asked, but in January, spokesman Brian Swensen made it clear that Waltz’s opposition to Trump was fertile narrative ground.
“Michael Waltz was a strong #NeverTrump supporter who actively worked to make sure Trump was not elected and helped spread the egregious Trump and Putin lies being pushed by Hillary and the liberal media. He will quickly learn that Republican primary voters are not easily fooled, and they do not forget,” Swensen said.
Waltz made a video during the 2016 presidential primaries for the American Future Fund. Waltz excoriated Trump for “never having served this country a day in his life.”
“All Donald Trump has served is himself,” Waltz said. “Don’t let Donald Trump fool you. Look into his record, and stop Trump now.”
Trump went on to the presidency and Waltz summarily had a change of heart, as he told us in November.
Waltz has become a strong supporter of the Trump agenda, both on Twitter and on Fox News.
Florida Politics talked to Waltz, who noted that his statements were made “during the primaries,” and that he spoke “on the heels of what Trump said about POWs” during the primaries.
There are in total four Republicans in this race to succeed outgoing Rep. Ron DeSantis. In addition to Ward and Waltz, former Ormond Beach state Rep. Fred Costello and St. Johns County Commissioner Jimmy Johns are in the race.
Ward got an earlier start than the other three, and his campaign account reflects that.
Ward has $644,000 cash on hand, giving him the money lead. He has put in $552,000 of his own money, against just over $200,000 in contributions, with the vast majority of them outside Florida.
The other candidates won’t report significant financial activity until the middle of April.
A sample of the PAC’s work is below:
