Sen. Maggie Hassan (D–N.H.) is running for reelection after beating a Republican incumbent in 2016 by one-tenth of a percentage point. Among her 10 potential Republican rivals, national Republicans support Chuck Morse, a moderate who serves as the state’s Senate president.
But earlier this month, Senate Majority PAC, which is aligned with Sen. Chuck Schumer (D–N.Y.), funded an ad for one of Morse’s primary opponents: Don Bolduc, whom even allies call a “loose cannon.” Bolduc has proposed sending U.S. troops to fight in Ukraine, and described Gov. Chris Sununu as a “Chinese Communist sympathizer.” The ad refers to Morse as “another sleazy politician,” chosen by “Mitch McConnell’s Washington establishment.” The PAC spent over $3 million, more than five times what Bolduc has raised in campaign contributions. …
Similarly, Hansel is a moderate Republican mayor of a relatively liberal city. He says he would oppose gun control measures but he would also oppose federal bans on abortion, describing himself as pro-choice but feeling that it is an issue that should be left to the states. His main competition is Robert Burns, a 2016 delegate for former President Donald Trump. Burns supports a federal fetal heartbeat law, as well as a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border.
But in August, Politico reported on a sizable ad buy centering on Burns. Democrats Serve, a group that “backs Democratic candidates with public service backgrounds,” spent $94,000 on a late-August TV spot, nearly six times what Burns himself had spent on ads. It calls Burns “the ultra-conservative candidate for Congress” and says he “follows the Trump playbook on immigration, the border, and guns.” A Massachusetts-based political mail firm affiliated with Democrats sent out mailers in August with a similar message.
The ads may have taken different tacks, but all have the same emphasis: presenting moderate Republican candidates as less appealing to the party’s base.
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