Cleveland.com last month: “a major tell that the race might be narrowing is if Republicans begin spending here to prop up Vance.”
Today, San Francisco millionaire JD Vance’s campaign released a new ad, paid for in full by Washington Republicans, as the “initial phase” of a frantic effort to salvage Vance’s struggling campaign.
At the same time, a McConnell-backed outside group announced a $3.8 million ad buy — 3,800,000 more proof points that national Republicans are panicking over Vance’s lackluster campaign, inability to raise money, and deep unpopularity.
Vance, who only survived his bruising primary with the help of a $15 million investment from California billionaire Peter Thiel, has spent the last three months hiding from voters and trying to explain away his fundraising woes with nonsensical lies about past campaigns. Now, Vance’s out-of-state bailout confirms what political analyst Kyle Kondik noted last month: that a “major tell that the race might be narrowing is if Republicans begin spending here to prop up Vance.”
“Down in the polls, outraised 9-to-1, and unable to set foot in Ohio without creating more unforced errors, San Francisco millionaire JD Vance can only hope this latest bailout from his out-of-state allies will be enough to convince Ohioans that he’s one of them,” said Tim for Ohio spokesperson Izzi Levy. “It won’t work, though, because Vance is the biggest fraud from Lake Erie to the Ohio River.”
Here’s what they’re saying about Vance’s out-of-state bailout:
- Cleveland.com: “National Republicans are getting involved in Ohio’s U.S. Senate race, as they direct resources away from higher-priority states and try to help J.D. Vance’s overcome a fundraising disadvantage against Democratic U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan… The ads, the first entry into Ohio by national Republicans, reflect their growing concerns about a fundraising disparity between Vance and Ryan.”
- NBC News: “Vance has been dogged by recent criticism from within his own party that he has been outworked by Ryan since the May primary, which he won with former President Donald Trump’s endorsement despite an onslaught of negative ads against him. The most recent fundraising reports showed Ryan, a 10-term House member from the Youngstown area, with a substantial cash advantage and Vance’s campaign owing more money than it had on hand. Ryan has spent the summer running hard with a GOP-friendly message, including an ad produced specifically for Fox News.”
