Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson unveiled the first television ad of his Senate re-election campaign on Tuesday.
Johnson, a freshman senator squaring off against former Democratic Sen. Russ Feingold again, harps on the theme of manufacturing in the new ad set at his company in Oshkosh, Wis. He also takes a page out of GOP presumptive nominee Donald Trump’s playbook and mentions Mexico and China.
“These pallets, heading to China — those Mexico. Some companies export jobs. We export our products,” Johnson says in the ad. “Been doing it for decades, helping to create more Wisconsin jobs. And I’ve stayed put — right here in Oshkosh — for 37 years.”
He continues, “Career politicians manufacture hogwash — I manufacture plastic, and I respect you enough to tell you the truth. If you think it’s time for Washington to start facing reality, I sure could use your support.”
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker promoted the “strong new ad” on Tuesday, suggesting he could become more involved in the senator’s re-election bid. After dropping out of the 2016 race, Walker supported Ted Cruz’s presidential campaign, who won Wisconsin’s presidential primary. But Trump is poised to become the party’s nominee and Johnson has said he will support whoever becomes the GOP nominee.
The Badger State could become a battleground as Trump and likely Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton square off in the general election. The Johnson versus Feingold contest could determine the balance of power in the Senate.
