Campaign

Emily’s List launches 7-figure Spanish ad campaign for Arizona Senate race

by Rafael Bernal - 10/08/18 5:52 PM ET

Pro-abortion rights group Emily’s List on Monday launched a Spanish-language TV ad attacking Republican Senate hopeful Rep. Martha McSally (Ariz.) over her record on health care.

The health care-focused ad by Women Vote, the independent expenditure arm of Emily’s List, features Steve Gomez of Gilbert, Ariz., whose son Anthony needed a heart transplant as a newborn.

Women Vote is investing “more than $1 million” in the ad buy, which will begin running Tuesday.

{mosads} “Growing old and healthy, Anthony will need medical treatment for the rest of his life,” says the ad’s voiceover in Spanish.

“But in Congress, Martha McSally voted to eliminate protections for pre-existing conditions,” adds the narrator.

McSally is in a tight race against Rep. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) for the seat left by retiring Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.).

Polls have shown a tight race, though Sinema has been building a slight lead recently.

While Hispanics make up around 30 percent of Arizona’s population, they account for about 26.5 percent of the electorate, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, and tend to participate less than other demographic groups.

But voter participation in Arizona in general is growing, and several groups are investing specifically in increasing Hispanic participation.

A study by polling firm Latino Decisions in May found that Spanish-language ads significantly increased Latino voter turnout.

“Martha McSally has a long record of putting corporate special interests ahead of working families, and her vote to rip away protections for people with pre-existing conditions is another example,” said Stephanie Schriock, president of Emily’s List, accusing the Republican of “running an increasingly nasty campaign.”

Tags Jeff Flake Martha McSally