IA-01: Anti-Impeachment ‘Constituent’ Appears In 11 Ads Across Country

By Elizabeth Meyer

January 19, 2020

Iowa’s 1st Congressional District, represented by Democratic Congresswoman Abby Finkenauer, is one of 11 battleground districts getting hit with anti-impeachment television ads paid for by the “dark money” group American Action Network.

What makes this $2.5 million ad campaign unusual, however, is the woman featured in the 30-second spots.

“Stacy,” according to the ad, is a mother, wife and teacher. She appears in all 11 “Focus” ads, telling the audience: “Washington gets so focused on all the wrong things, like impeachment.”

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“Abby Finkenauer said she’d be different, but then voted to impeach the president,” says “Stacy.”

In each identical ad, “Stacy” inserts the name of 11 different Democratic representatives into her line griping about the impeachment inquiry, implying she is a disgruntled constituent in a district where the ad runs.

Variations of “Focus” feature Reps. Finkenauer; Jared Golden of Maine; Andy Kim of New Jersey; Xochitl Torres Small of New Mexico; Susie Lee of Nevada; Max Rose of New York; Anthony Brindisi of New York; Matt Cartwright of Pennsylvania; Elaine Luria of Virginia; and Abigail Spanberger of Virginia.

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A press release issued Friday by American Action Network said: “The ads feature moms expressing their frustration with Members of Congress for sidelining important work on the issues that matter — like securing the border or addressing the opioid epidemic — and becoming consumed with their partisan crusade to impeach President Trump.”

American Action Network is a political non-profit that does not have to disclose its donors.

According to its website, the group “will create, encourage and promote center-right policies based on the principles of freedom, limited government, American exceptionalism, and strong national security.”

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The group’s other new anti-impeachment ad is called “Priorities,” featuring “Ashley,” a mother, wife and nurse from Oklahoma who American Action Network said on Twitter lives in Rep. Horn’s district.

In all, a mix of TV and digital ads will run in 29 congressional districts President Donald Trump won in 2016, but are now represented by a Democrat who voted for impeachment. Trump won Finkenauer’s Eastern Iowa district by 3.5 percentage points, and Finkenauer went on in 2018 to oust an incumbent Republican and win by 5 percentage points.

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By Elizabeth Meyer
Posted 1/19/20

CATEGORIES: IA-01

Politics

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