(Source: MIRS.news, Published 10/10/2022) The Republican Governors Association (RGA), the Michigan Republican Party (MRP) and the Michigan Families United PAC are expected to start broadcast advertisements this week to help Tudor Dixon in the gubernatorial race.
The RGA will be pulling the trigger on a $3.5 million advertising buy starting Oct. 12, a day before she is set to debate Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, which will go until Election Day. The RGA announced the Michigan buy in March, well before any debate dates were set, along with buys for $10.2 million in Arizona, $3.5 million in Kansas, $8 million in Nevada and $6.2 million in Wisconsin.
"The RGA is committed to investing in these states to ensure Americans know life is better when a Republican governor is in charge," said RGA Executive Director Dave Rexrode.
The Michigan Republican Party also is expected to drop nearly $2 million starting this week to help the ticket, which drove the Whitmer reelection team to send out a fundraising alert to prospective contributors.
"It's no secret that Tudor Dixon is bought and paid for by special interests who want to advance their dangerous, wrong-for-Michigan agenda," the fundraising pitch reads. "Help us fight back against these special-interest ads with a contribution of $5 today."
Federal Communications Commission filings show the DeVos-backed Michigan Families United PAC buy to start on Oct. 11,
It's most recent $400,000 buy started sooner than that. The filing with WWMT shows nine spots to air for a total of $18,350 and the WOOD filing shows seven spots for a total of $12,750. Both stations cover the Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo area.
"This spending is expected in a perennial battleground state like Michigan, but there's nothing the RGA can say that will distract from Tudor Dixon’s dangerous and reckless agenda to ban abortion with no exceptions for rape, incest or health of the mother, while dismantling Michigan’s public schools and giving huge tax giveaways to her number one backer Betsy DeVos," said Democratic Governors Association Deputy Communications Director Sam Newton.
The Michigan Families United website has four 30-second Dixon commercials on the PAC website, but it is unknown if they will be the ones aired.
Two of the commercials, named "Safe" and another named "Thank Tudor," were posted on Vimeo months ago and feature former President Donald TRUMP praising the GOP candidate. Those were designed for the primary campaign. The two new ones have a General Election bent.
The first one, "Stand Up," was posted to Vimeo a month ago and features Dixon with her family and relies heavily on alliteration, claiming she is a "Michigan mom on a mission."
The final 30-second spot on the website, named "common sense," was posted 14 days ago and goes after a comment made by Attorney General Dana Nessel at a civil rights conference about "A drag queen for every school."
The RGA and PAC advertisements are expected to run in at least the Detroit and Grand Rapids television markets.
Everytown For Gun Safety Announces $2.3M Investment
In related news, the Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund today announced a new $2.3 million media campaign for the midterm elections.
The Michigan effort focuses on mobilizing voters and calling out candidates beholden to the gun lobby, including gubernatorial candidate Tudor Dixon, for opposition to "common-sense gun safety laws that makes all of us less safe," the organization said.
The ads, "Extreme" and "This Year," will run on television and across digital platforms in the Detroit media markets.
The group also announced a poll in Michigan showing 84% of voters say that a candidate's position on guns and gun violence prevention is important when deciding whom to vote for and 93% of voters support background checks on all gun sales.
