A major Democratic Super PAC is making last-minute financial investments in Senate races in Wisconsin and Florida in an effort to shore up what they hope will become down-ballot victories for the party next month.
Senate Majority PAC is on pace to spend $2 million on a new ad buy in Wisconsin to boost the election bid of former Democratic Sen. Russ Feingold, who is running against Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis. That spending comes even as Feingold has led his GOP opponent consistently in the polls.
The Democratic hopeful is running 6.3 points ahead of Johnson, according to a RealClearPolitics polling average. Twenty-six of the last 27 polls conducted in Wisconsin show Feingold winning.
Democratic operatives explain they’re playing it safe in Wisconsin, and they claim they’re using some of the $19 million raised in the early days of October to make sure they have the Badger State locked up.
“Republican special interests are on track to spend more than $10 million attacking Russ Feingold because they want to keep Ron Johnson in the Senate to do their bidding at Wisconsin’s expense,” Shripal Shah, SMP spokesman, told Roll Call. “Feingold remains positioned to win, but we aren’t going to take any chances by letting these attacks remain unanswered.”
The Wisconsin ad buy also comes as the same Democratic-aligned PAC pushes new spending in Florida’s Senate race between Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and Rep. Patrick Murphy, D-Fla.
Rubio leads in Florida by 3.4 points, according to a RealClearPolitics polling average.
But Democrats are hoping Murphy can close the gap.
“This race is closing,” Shah told CNN this week. “Voters know that Marco Rubio is only looking out for himself and they’re going to hold him accountable for pushing a self-serving agenda at their expense.”
“This afternoon, Senate Majority PAC made a seven figure transfer to Floridians for a Strong Middle Class, a Florida based Super PAC supporting Patrick Murphy’s campaign,” he said. “The move comes hours after Senate Majority PAC announced a record fundraising haul – $19.3 million – covering the pre-general reporting period (October 1st thru 19th) that will be filed with the FEC today.”
Murphy, who has consistently trailed behind Rubio in the polls, is also getting an assist from Democratic nominee Hillary and her team of surrogates.
Clinton and her crew have broadened their campaign message to include attacks vulnerable GOP lawmakers. Many of these attacks have involved the Democratic nominee and her team tying Trump around the necks of Republican incumbents.
Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., for example, went after Rubio this week for saying he’d vote for Trump even after everything the Florida senator said during the GOP primary.
“When someone is unwilling to condemn the many things that ought to be condemned about Donald Trump‘s divisive campaign, then you got to ask yourself whether they’re the right person to represent you and to represent your values,” Kaine said.
President Obama also mocked the Florida Republican last week at a campaign event in Miami.
“I’m even more confused by Republican politicians who still support Donald Trump,” Obama said. “Marco Rubio is one of those people. How does that work? How can you call him a ‘con artist’ and ‘dangerous’ and object to all the controversial things he says and then say, ‘But I’m still going vote for him?’ C’mon, man!”
