Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida is giving a helping hand to his colleague, Sen. Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire, who finds herself under fire over her position on gun control.
Rubio’s political action committee, Reclaim America PAC, is going up in New Hampshire with a television ad backing Ayotte, a first-term Republican. Ayotte found herself under scrutiny from gun control groups and in a town hall confrontation earlier this month with the daughter of a teacher killed in the Newtown shootings after voting against a bipartisan background check bill.
Rubio’s leadership PAC is the latest to come to Ayotte’s aid as she sees her approval ratings drop in the wake of her vote—both the NRA and the American Future Fund have launched ads backing her.
The 30-second spot addresses Ayotte’s qualifications as both a prosecutor and a mother to bolster her security credentials.
“Safety, security, family—no one understands these things like a mom, and no one works harder for them than this one,” says the ad. “A former prosecutor, Kelly Ayotte knows how to reduce gun violence. Ayotte voted to fix background checks, strengthen mental health screenings, and more resources to prosecute criminals using guns. Washington may not like it, but you can count on it—Kelly Ayotte stands for our values, not theirs.”
According to NBC News, the ad is backed by a six-figure buy and will start airing in the state on Tuesday.
Jessica Taylor