A political action committee supporting Democratic military veterans, VoteVets, is giving Luke Bronin a significant boost in his campaign for Congress with a nearly $1 million ad campaign. This is the first foray by an outside group into the four-way primary for Connecticut’s 1st Congressional District.
Ad Campaign Details
The ad buy in support of the former Hartford mayor starts Tuesday and will run through the Aug. 11 primary on cable and broadcast in the Hartford and New Haven media markets. Bronin is one of three Democratic candidates running against U.S. Rep. John Larson, who is seeking a 15th term to his Hartford-based seat.
The ad campaign is notable, not just in the size of the buy but also because it’s one of the rare instances of the group investing in a primary against a long-time incumbent in a safe blue district. All other VoteVets endorsements in House races this cycle are for Democratic incumbents running for reelection or Democrats running for open seats or taking on Republicans — races that could determine the balance of power in Congress.
Campaign Themes
The ad hits on many of the same themes as Bronin’s own ads: his biography as a Navy veteran, criticism of President Donald Trump and a call for new leadership in Congress. Bronin is a U.S. Navy veteran who served in Afghanistan in 2010.
The ad makes subtle but indirect jabs at Larson, arguing that Bronin will “take on the corruption in Washington” by rejecting donations from corporate political action committees and pushing for fresh leadership in D.C.
“With Donald Trump making billions and Congress doing absolutely nothing,” the ad’s narrator says against the backdrop of the sound of crickets, “we need new energy and new leadership.”
“Trump corruption has taken over Washington, and Congress needs new leadership and new energy to right the ship. That’s Luke Bronin,” said VoteVets senior advisor Max Rose, a former Democratic congressman from New York.
Bronin secured an endorsement in January from VoteVets PAC, which has had big-name donors over the years and past support from groups aligned with Democratic leadership in the House and Senate.
Original reporting: The Connecticut Mirror — read the source article.
