According to an advertisement first shared with NBC News, the Senate Republicans’ campaign arm is making its first run at Democratic Senator Elissa Slotkin in the Michigan Senate race, focusing on spending on pandemic relief.
Tuesday’s party primary saw Slotkin triumph handily, paving the way for a November contest against former GOP Representative Mike Rogers. In a race that will be crucial to Senate control, Republicans are also not wasting any time in criticizing Slotkin, who is serving her third term.
The $10 million buy by the National Republican Senatorial Committee in the Michigan race begins with its first independent expenditure advertisement of the 2016 year.
The NRSC’s advertisement, which will air on TV, radio, and internet media, criticizes Slotkin for her support of a bill that gave millions of people and inmates stimulus cheques during the coronavirus outbreak.
The advertisement highlights that among the recipients of stimulus checks were Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the man accused of bombing the Boston Marathon, and Larry Nassar, a former USA Gymnastics doctor who was found guilty of sexually abusing hundreds of women and girls when they were on the national team and in Michigan.
NRSC spokesperson Maggie Abboud stated in a statement, “Elissa Slotkin supported extravagant spending that skyrocketed inflation and rendered life unaffordable for residents in Michigan.” “Slotkin, the policymaker, suffered a great deal, while the Boston Marathon bomber and Larry Nassar gained.”
It was ordered by federal judges that Tsarnaev and Nassar provide victims access to their stimulus payments and other funds in their accounts.
Targeting Slotkin on pandemic spending, One Nation, the nonprofit wing of the GOP super PAC Senate Leadership Fund, also launched its first advertisement in the contest as part of a $9.4 million buy that will run through Labor Day.
In the advertisement, a narrator claims that “Voting for careless spending by Elissa Slotkin has cost Michigan residents thousands of dollars.” “Tell Elissa Slotkin to stop wasting money and to start prioritizing Michigan families.”
The 30-second commercial, which will air on radio, TV, and internet channels, will target Michgian’s contested 7th District in the House, which Slotkin represents.
“Constituents of Elissa Slotkin trusted her to manage their hard-earned money wisely, but she is actually losing them thousands of dollars,” stated One Nation President and CEO Steven Law in a statement.
Early in 2021, Slotkin stated that the pandemic was “the biggest danger currently facing Michiganders’ health and financial security” in support of the pandemic relief package.
That being said, there are undoubtedly parts of this law that I disagree with, Slotkin stated at the time in a statement. It’s not ideal, just like previous COVID alleviation plans we’ve looked at. I would have rather that the stimulus checks were distributed more specifically and that the scope of this package was limited to COVID relief.
In one of the most costly House elections of 2022, Slotkin’s reelection brought criticism for her support of government expenditure. She won by five percentage points over state senator Tom Barrett at the time.
Additionally, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee began airing fresh television advertisements in Michigan, Arizona, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin through its independent expenditure arm.
The advertisement from the DSCC accuses Rogers of having ties to special interests and highlights both his residence in Florida and his business activities.
“After making millions, Rogers wants to become a senator so he can make more money,” the advertisement’s narrator states.
According to Rogers’ campaign, the former congressman has always been open and honest about his financial connections.
Campaign spokesperson Chris Gustafson told Business Insider in February that “Mike Rogers has continuously cooperated with Senate Ethics and FEC financial disclosure standards because he has always felt that Michiganders deserve complete and utter transparency from their elected officials.”