Hillary Clinton is spending over $2 million on her first televised campaign ads, portraying the Democratic front-runner as a “fighter” for children and the disadvantaged.
The 60-second spots will air for five weeks, beginning this Tuesday, in the early primary states of New Hampshire and Iowa. The ads will also run in Bernie Sanders’ home base of Burlington, Vt., in order to reach voters on the Vermont/ New Hampshire border.
Sanders, a senator from Vermont, has emerged as Clinton’s leading challenger in the 2016 Democratic primaries. He has been polling competitively in New Hampshire.
Clinton aides say that the newly released ads are about portraying her as a “fighter” before the television airwaves are clogged with commercials for other 2016 candidates. They also stated that the ads have nothing to do with the recent chatter surrounding Vice President Joe Biden possibly entering the race.
The first ad, “Dorothy,” discusses how Clinton’s mother relied on the kindness of strangers to get an education and go on to raise Hillary and her two brothers to be successful. The second ad, “Family Strong,” also kicks off with an image of Clinton’s mother, but then goes on to chronicle Hillary’s career, painting her as an advocate who chose to stand up for the less fortunate, rather than choosing jobs at “big firms” that could pay more.
“We’re going to make sure everyone knows who Hillary Clinton really is — who she fights for and what has motivated her lifelong commitment to children and families,” campaign manager Robby Mook said in an official statement. “Since Day One, we’ve planned for a competitive primary with Hillary herself working to earn every vote and, ultimately, the nomination. This is the natural next step.”
