House Majority Whip Steve Scalise may have a new, powerful job in Washington, but he’s reminding voters he’s still just a regular guy.
The Louisiana Republican went up Saturday morning with a playful TV ad in which a narrator calls him “a leader in the fight to keep our flood insurance rates from quadrupling” and “one of the most powerful conservatives in the House.”
{mosads}Then, while his family watches TV, his young daughter sets him straight: “Dad, stop hogging all the popcorn.”
“Now, that’s my favorite thing to be called,” Scalise replies.
The 30-second spot will run through early November and is part of a six-figure ad buy, aides said.
Scalise, the No. 3 House Republican in leadership, is expected to capture more than 50 percent of the vote on Nov. 4 and avoid the need for a runoff. But after Majority Leader Eric Cantor’s stunning primary loss this summer in Virginia, other GOP leaders aren’t taking any chances.
Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) has also been portraying himself as just a normal guy. His team recently posted a video comparing him to a wind-up toy monkey and another video showing a typical day for the speaker, including his morning walk in shorts and breakfast at a Capitol Hill greasy spoon.
Scalise was elected by House Republicans in June to succeed Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), who succeeded Cantor as majority leader after his election defeat.