Democratic super PAC targets McSally over coronavirus response

A Democratic super PAC in Arizona is targeting Sen. Martha McSally (R-Ariz.) over her comments about the coronavirus pandemic in a new ad set to air statewide on Fox News and CNN. 

The 30-second ad, shared exclusively with The Hill on Friday, cuts in clips of McSally in early March claiming at the time that calling on people to stay home from work or to skip spring break trips is “too much of a panicked reaction.”

“Martha McSally doesn’t get it,” text at the end of the ad reads. 

The Middle Class Fighting to Restore Arizona’s Unity and Decency super PAC’s ad will launch Saturday and run for one week.

“Martha McSally has consistently let the working people of Arizona down,” said Frank Hawk, vice president of the Southwest Regional Council of Carpenters, one of the groups funding the super PAC. 

“She showed once again she is unfit for office by downplaying the risk the deadly coronavirus poses to Arizona and our nation,” Hawk added.  

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey (R) issued a stay-at-home order in the state on Monday. The order remains in place until the end of April. 

The ad also targets McSally for voting to cut $1 billion for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2017, when she was in the House.

McSally, a Republican facing one of the toughest Senate battles in November, announced last month she would be suspending her campaign ads and all canvassing activities for at least 30 days amid the coronavirus pandemic. 

On Wednesday McSally added that she will also be temporarily suspending campaign fundraising and will donate her April paycheck in response to the coronavirus pandemic. 

McSally’s campaign manager Dylan Lefler called the ad a “disgusting stunt” that used an “out of context clip.”

“Senator McSally was sharing the advice of health experts at that time,” Lefler said in a statement. “Senator McSally’s response to coronavirus has been unmatched. She has suspended all campaign activity and fundraising and is donating her salary to those in need. Every Democrat should immediately denounce this disgusting attack.”

McSally was appointed to her seat in 2019 and is running to complete the remainder of the late Sen. John McCain’s (R) term. McSally lost her 2018 election to Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D). 

She’s facing a tough challenge in November from Democrat Mark Kelly, a former astronaut and gun control activist.