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GOP group launches TV and digital ads thanking Elise Stefanik

New York Republican’s profile has risen during the impeachment inquiry

American Action Network is launching a new ad campaign to boost Rep. Elise Stefanik in her upstate New York district. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)
American Action Network is launching a new ad campaign to boost Rep. Elise Stefanik in her upstate New York district. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

An outside group aligned with House Republican leadership is launching new television and digital ads thanking New York Rep. Elise Stefanik, whose national profile has risen during the impeachment inquiry.

Stefanik is the only Republican woman on the House Intelligence Committee, which began public hearings last week in the probe of President Donald Trump’s dealings with Ukraine. The group, American Action Network, is spending $150,000 on the new ad campaign in Stefanik’s upstate New York district, according to an announcement shared first with CQ Roll Call.

“Congresswoman Stefanik is a star who has distinguished herself in the fight to stop this partisan impeachment charade,” AAN President Dan Conston said in a statement. “Stefanik deserves praise for calling out this madness and doing what’s right both for the country and her constituents.”

The 30-second ad features images of high profile Democrats including House Intelligence Chairman Adam B. Schiff, Speaker Nancy Pelosi and New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

“Now it’s crystal clear: Their partisan impeachment is a politically motivated charade,” the narrator says in the ad. “Thankfully, Congresswoman Elise Stefanik believes the voters should be the ones deciding elections. She’s focusing on the issues that matter: making sure our military has the resources and training they need and deserve, and standing up for our farmers.”

The narrator encourages viewers to call the three-term congresswoman and “thank her for standing against impeachment and focusing on the issues that matter.”

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The ad buy is part of AAN’s $7 million digital and television ad campaign in nearly 40 congressional districts. The ads largely target vulnerable Democrats, although the group is also airing spots in a handful of districts where Republicans face competitive races. 

But the addition of Stefanik to the group’s ad campaign does not necessarily mean Republicans see her reelection as suddenly competitive. A GOP source noted that Trump carried her 21st District by 14 points in 2016, and she won reelection over Democrat Tedra Cobb last fall by a similar margin. Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales rates the race Solid Republican.

Still, Stefanik’s heightened profile has also boosted Cobb, a former St. Lawrence County legislator, who is seeking a rematch. The Democrat raised $1 million last weekend after the start of public impeachment hearings. 

Stefanik’s campaign had previously declined to say how much it has raised since the start of public hearings, but the congresswoman tweeted Thursday night that she brought in $250,000 in 15 minutes after an appearance on Fox News. She directed Fox News viewers to the website fightschiff.com to donate to her campaign. 

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