Republicans hit Arizona Sen. Kelly on Spanish-language TV
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A Spanish-language ad from the NRSC hits Sen. Mark Kelly over inflation and border security. Screenshot via NRSC.
The National Republican Senatorial Committee launched a 10-day ad buy against Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., on Spanish-language television on Friday.
What's happening: The ad hits Kelly over inflation and border security.
- "Groceries skyrocketing and gas prices rising. Mark Kelly talks pretty when he's in Arizona, but in Washington, he crumbles and votes the party line 97%," a voiceover states. "Kelly even votes with Biden on border issues, and now we are feeling the impact: more crime, schools crowded, less safety."
The big picture: Republicans want to retake control of the Senate this year, and Kelly, who won a special election to serve out the final two years of John McCain's term in 2020, is one of the GOP's top targets.
Details: NRSC is spending roughly $250,000 for 10 days' worth of ads on network and cable Spanish-language television in the Phoenix, Tucson and Yuma areas. It's part of a seven-figure ad buy targeting Kelly in both English and Spanish across the state during that period, spokesperson Katharine Cooksey told Axios.
- The English language ad doesn't mention inflation and focuses primarily on border security and illegal immigration, saying, "He voted for sanctuary cities, for benefits to illegals, and against a border wall. Kelly voted to allow restrictions to be lifted, which will cause a massive new border surge."
The other side: "National Republicans are at it again with more desperate and false attacks on Senator Mark Kelly's record, but Arizonans know the truth. Kelly has worked to lower costs for hardworking families and create a secure, fair, and orderly process at the border ... ," said Kelly's spokesperson, Sarah Guggenheimer, in a statement to Axios.
Between the lines: Latinos are traditionally a reliable voting bloc for Democrats, but recent polling shows that support may not be as solid as they hope.
- A Wall Street Journal poll in March showed a 9-point advantage for Republican congressional candidates over Democrats among Hispanic voters.
- An Axios-Ipsos poll last month found that Latinos listed inflation as their top concern, with 34% of respondents putting inflation first. Although that poll also found that Latinos still were nearly twice as inclined to say they'd vote for a Democrat (30%) over a Republican (17%) on a generic congressional ballot.
Editor's note: This story has been updated to include a response from Sen. Mark Kelly's team.