Senate races

Brown, Shaheen tout state ties

 

Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) and her most prominent Republican opponent, former Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown, have released new ads highlighting their ties to New Hampshire.

{mosads}Neither ad is ostensibly focused on attacks that Brown is a carpetbagger. His ad attacks Shaheen on ObamaCare’s employer mandate, while Shaheen’s touts her work for the state.

But both ads drive home the idea that the charges could be problematic for Brown.

Brown’s ad actually targets ObamaCare, but he spends the first quarter of the new radio ad outlining his connections to the state.

“I was born at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard,” he said. “My mom was a waitress at Hampton Beach. My dad, an airman at Pease. I’ve been a homeowner and taxpayer in Rye for over 20 years. I care about New Hampshire.”

 

Brown has said he believes New Hampshire voters won’t fault him for moving from Massachusetts to New Hampshire late last year because he’s got deep family connections to the state and spent much of his youth there.

He’s also made opposition to ObamaCare a central line of attack, and the new ad targets the mandate that businesses of a certain size must provide health care for their employees or pay a penalty. The ad declares the mandate “means higher costs and fewer jobs.”

 

Shaheen’s new ad features residents and elected officials from across the state touting her infrastructure and job-creation efforts.

“Jeanne Shaheen‘s leadership brings people together around common sense solutions, breaking gridlock to get things done,” said campaign manager Mike Vlacich in a statement. “As our Senator, she’s fought for the Manchester Job Corps Center, Portsmouth’s Memorial Bridge, widening of I-93, and to re-open the Berlin Prison to create jobs and strengthen our economy.”