A pro-Jeb Bush super PAC that boasted a $100 million war chest took aim at New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Ohio Gov. John Kasich in a new ad. Approximately 1.8 percent of Republican primary voters nationwide support Kasich and 4.4 percent of GOP voters support Christie, according to RealClearPolitics’ average of polls.
Right to Rise USA’s ad showcases the former Florida governor’s record against Christie and Kasich, two governors who still hold elective office. The three are competing for a similar slice of voters in the pivotal New Hampshire primary.
“Three Republican governors, but which governor won national praise for tough leadership handling nine hurricanes?” a narrator asks. A check mark appears next to an image of Bush while pictures of Christie and Kasich fade.
The ad touts Bush’s opposition to the expansion of Obamacare in Florida, as compared to Christie and Kasich who expanded Medicaid under Obamacare in their home states. But Bush left office before President Obama was elected and long before the president’s signature healthcare legislation took effect.
The video also promotes Bush’s record on job creation and his tough talk on defeating the Islamic State, which came before the Paris terrorist attacks as the ad notes.
New Day for America, a super PAC supporting Kasich’s presidential campaign, responded with a rebuttal of Bush’s purported successes.
“We welcome a comparison with Governors Bush and Christie, but what Team Jeb has failed to address is the political baggage dragging behind Bush and Christie,” said Connie Wehrkamp, New Day for America spokeswoman, in a statement. “The country doesn’t have an appetite for another Bush or another Clinton, for that matter.”
But Christie and Kasich are not the Bush team’s only targets. Earlier on Tuesday, Right to Rise USA unveiled an ad attacking Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, a longtime ally of Bush, for missing votes in the U.S. Senate while on the presidential campaign trail.
Bush ranks fifth, one spot behind Rubio, in the Washington Examiner‘s newest GOP presidential power rankings.
