$$$ for Dems: Bloomberg Drops $10 MILLION On Congressional Races in California
Former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg has spent millions to boost the campaigns of House candidates Harley Rouda and Katie Hill, and his political action committee has launched a major ad campaign aimed at unseating Republicans Reps. Steve Knight of Palmdale, and Dana Rohrabacher of Costa Mesa.
With the November 6th midterm election less than two weeks away, Bloomberg has further tilted California ad spending in the Democrats’ favor.
Federal records Thursday showed Bloomberg’s Independence USA PAC disclosed a $4.5 million ad buy in support of Democrat Katie Hill, vaulting CA-25 to the top of the list with over $15 million spent by outside groups. Bloomberg’s group has spent over $5.1 million to promote Hill, overtaking the Rebublicans’ Congressional Leadership Fund as the districts largest outside spender. Knight’s supporters have spent just over $4.6 million. ($3.4 million opposing Hill and $1.2 million supporting Knight).
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This is all part of the PAC’s expected $11-million final push for Democrats in tight House races in California, with a fraction of that amount going to Mike Levin, who is vying to succeed retiring GOP Rep. Darrell Issa of Vista.
“That’s a jaw-dropping amount of money,” said Rob Stutzman, one of California’s top Republican strategists.
Democrats, who will need to gain 23 seats to win the majority, have targeted Knight, Rohrabacher, and Reps. Jeff Denham of the San Joaquin Valley and Mimi Walters of Laguna Beach. In addition, they hope to capture the seats of both Issa and departing GOP Rep. Ed Royce of Fullerton.
Bloomberg made headlines in June with his announcement to commit $80 million to filp the House to Democratic control. He also announced he would be pumping another $20 million into Senate races earlier this month.
Bloomberg’s first TV ad for Hill casts her as a champion for veterans in the states 25th Congressional District.
The other ad that Bloomberg began airing this week is a brutal attack on Rohrabacher, where he runs the incumbent over the coals for saying that global warming is a fraud.
“It’s getting hotter, but while fire and smoke choke our air, Dana Rohrabacher is radically opposed to efforts to fight climate change,” a narrator says as images of forest fires and smokestacks flash on screen:
A League of Conservation Voters committee has joined Bloomberg in spending $650,000 for the television ad to air.
Spokesman for Rohrabacher, Dale Neugebauer said the congressman believes the climate is changing, but in a natural cycle, not from human activity.
“Billionaires from San Francisco and New York City are pouring millions of dollars into this district to buy the election for Nancy Pelosi and advance their own personal agendas,” Neugebauer said. “Their attack ads are intended [to] mislead and to distort Rep. Rohrabacher’s record. It won’t work. Voters here know and trust Dana.”
One of Bloomberg’s senior advisers, Howard Wolfson, called the congressman’s stand on climate change extreme.
“There are many Republicans who vote against the environment, but there are not many who are willing to say so explicitly on the record that they believe that climate change is a hoax,” he said. “That kind of thing is really out of step with the district.”
Democrats are outnumbered by more than 10 percentage points by Republicans in Rohrabacher’s 48th Congressional District on the Orange County coast, which stretches from Seal Beach to South Laguna – but Hillary Clinton beat Trump there in 2016, 48% to 46%.
The Congressional Leadership Fund, has spent $3 million in cable television ads, but Rohrabacher is on his own with the more expensive broadcast stations that have broader audiences.
Ads pounding Rohrabacher by the Bloomberg group and a Democratic super PAC on Thursday began airing on ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox stations with no counter-spots defending the congressman.
“That’s a real disadvantage for Rohrabacher to not get up on broadcast,” said Stutzman, the Republican strategist.
He added that Bloomberg showing up late to the game could diminish the impact in California, due to the sheer volume of campaign advertising in the days right before an election becoming overwhelming, and too much for viewers to absorb.
Knight, Walters and Young Kim of Fullerton, are all getting help on broadcast stations from the National Republican Congressional Committee or the Congressional Leadership Fund.
“Come November, Californians will turn out in droves so Democrats like Katie Hill don’t make the cost of living even more crippling,” NRCC Spokesman Jack Pandol said in a statement announcing the new digital ad:
Courtney Alexander, communications director of the Congressional Leadership Fund stated, “We will do what it takes to ensure he wins his reelection,” she said.
The Congressional Leadership Fund also used the issue in ads targeting Hill:
Knight expressed his gratitude for the Congressional Leadership Fund stepping up to help saying, “They got us on broadcast,” speaking of the GOP Super PAC. “Being on broadcast is a big deal.”
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