Two Democratic candidates in major primaries have their first TV ads ready to air this week as the competition heats up a month and a half out from the election. Both Andy McGuire and Eddie Mauro rolled out introductory, biographical pieces for their candidacies for governor and Congress.
McGuire focused her first TV spot (titled “Caring”) on her medical background and plans to fix Iowa’s healthcare system. Walking into the picture in her full doctor’s gear, McGuire talks with children and veterans in a hospital-like setting.
“I’ve spent my life caring for people,” she says. “I was proud to help brave veterans with life-threatening illnesses, and then, focus on preventive care.”
Then McGuire jumps into an ambulance, while her voiceover focuses in on Iowa’s mental healthcare problems. The ambulance arrives outside the Capitol, where she gets out and heads up to the building.
“Our health care system is broken,” she says. “It’s time we fixed it.”
Mauro’s ad is titled “Middle” and highlights his time as a school teacher and coach. It shows him in a classroom where several students give increasingly odd excuses for not having their homework, including “aliens.”
“I won’t accept any excuses in Congress,” Mauro says as he takes away kids’ disruptive phones. “I’ll fight for a progressive agenda. I’ll fight for affordable health care, and I’ll protect Social Security and Medicare.”
Both ads do a nice job introducing their candidates in unique ways. McGuire’s new ad shows her in action, working with patients and driving toward the Capitol. The ambulance is a nice touch to make the ad stand out and further drive home her medical expertise (I assume there’s a fun story behind how the campaign got an ambulance for their ad).
Mauro’s use of humor in his should get most TV viewers to pay attention, helpful during a time when political ads will start filling up every commercial break.
Whatever activists think about either ad, it’s notable that at least both candidates are striving to make different-looking and creative TV spots.
One amusing thing about the Mauro piece: he mentions “When Trump and Ryan get out of line,” though retiring Speaker Paul Ryan won’t be in Congress if/when Mauro would get there. But I would bet this ad was shot several weeks ago before Ryan’s announcement that he was giving up on Congress. That’s part of the danger of making ads in today’s unstable political situation (though it’ll be interesting to see if Democrats still run ads tying incumbents to him – they might given how unpopular Ryan is).
McGuire has purchased airtime in both the Des Moines and Cedar Rapids media markets.
by Pat Rynard
Posted 4/19/18