Rep. Tammy Duckworth is reminding voters that Donald Trump isn’t the first Republican to make comments that many view as disparaging to women and minorities.
The Illinois Democrat challenging Republican Sen. Mark Kirk for his Senate seat released a fundraising email on Tuesday linking Kirk’s previous “outrageous” statements to the bombastic GOP presidential front-runner.
“From calling a fellow senator a ‘bro with no ho’ to suggesting that people ‘drive faster’ through black neighborhoods, Kirk has already made one outrageous, Trump-style remark after another,” the email says. “We can’t let Illinois be represented by a Donald Trump twin any longer.”
Kirk was caught on a live microphone earlier this year calling unmarried Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., a “bro with no ho,” a remark for which he later apologized. In an April interview with Peoria Journal Star, Kirk talked about ways to help the African American community to help make ensure “the black community is not the one we drive faster through.”
The email from Duckworth’s campaign also alleges that Kirk lied about his military record and points to Kirk’s attacks on President Obama.
Analysts in Illinois have previously suggested that painting Kirk as anti-Obama is a good strategy for Democrats in a state where the president is “very popular.”
This isn’t the first time Duckworth has tried to raise money off of Kirk’s comments. In June, an email referencing his comments about Graham said “this kind of sexist language has no place in the U.S. Senate,” and encouraged supporters to donate to help her knock him out, The Hill reported.
The race of the Illinois Senate seat is expected to be competitive and receive national attention, as it could determine if Democrats are able to regain control of the upper chamber.
