Sen. Rob Portman’s (R-Ohio) campaign is digging into its massive war chest to release its fifth ad of the election cycle Wednesday.
The Portman campaign’s new digital ad, first viewed by The Hill, targets independent voters across the Buckeye State. The ad attacks Portman’s Democratic challenger, former Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland, for his time leading a progressive group in Washington.
“When we last saw Ted Strickland, he was destroying Ohio’s economy, more than 350,000 of our jobs,” the narrator in the ad says. “What’s he been doing since we fired him? Working with liberal lobbyists in Washington.”
{mosads}Strickland served one term as governor of Ohio beginning in 2006, before getting edged by current Gov. John Kasich in his bid for reelection in 2010. Strickland went on to serve in a senior role at the liberal Center for American Progress in Washington.
“Strickland’s dream job is working in Washington, D.C., with a liberal special interest group that supports ObamaCare, higher taxes, job-killing regulations and the war on coal,” the ad continues. “The same old failed policies that crushed our economy when Ted Strickland was governor.”
“Don’t let retread Ted take Ohio backwards again,” the ad concludes.
The Portman campaign has been aggressive in advertising early in the cycle.
Money will not be an issue for the Ohio Republican, who is consistently one of the best fundraisers in Congress. In the second quarter, Portman raised $2.9 million, bringing his total cash-on-hand to a whopping $10 million.
Strickland raised only $1 million in the second quarter and has about $1.2 million on hand.
Still, Democrats believe Portman is vulnerable and have made him a top target heading into 2016. Portman faces reelection in a critical swing state in a presidential election year when turnout is expected to favor Democrats.
In addition, Democrats say Portman lacks some of the traditional advantages of incumbency, such as high name recognition.
According to a June survey from the Democratic firm Public Policy Polling, Portman leads with 43 percent support over Strickland’s 41 percent. The two were tied when the same poll was taken in March.