The conservative Judicial Crisis Network launched a seven-figure national advertising campaign across a handful of toss-up states Friday.
The ad blast is meant to incentivize moderate Democratic Sens. Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota and Joe Manchin of West Virginia into following constituents who oppose confirming a Supreme Court nominee.
The ads’ goal is to have constituents influence the senators while they’re in their home states, during the Senate’s two-week recess.
The 30-second videos hit on the policy issues unique to each of the lawmakers’ states. The $2 million project will run for three weeks on TV and digital air time across a handful of markets. The Judicial Crisis Network calls on Heitkamp and Manchin to “defend uncomfortable policy positions on EPA, Second Amendment, partial birth abortion,” all issues it believes will be affected by the high court.
The other ads praise Republican Sens. Chuck Grassley of Iowa and Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire and Democrat Michael Bennet of Colorado — whose ad will debut early next week — and asks constituents to rally around their senators by calling for the next president to appoint a replacement justice.
The network is overseen by Carrie Severino, former clerk to Justice Clarence Thomas. The advocacy group has spent $4 million on ads since Justice Antonin Scalia’s death Feb. 13. A source close to the campaign said the group is working with other grassroots organizations, including Tea Party Patriots, Susan B. Anthony List, America Rising and Conservative Crossroads to push its message on social media platforms.
