NRCC takes aim at Boswell in first TV ad in KY-2

The National Republican Congressional Committee has released its first ad in Kentucky’s 2nd Congressional District race attacking Democrat David Boswell over his comments about attracting an auto plant to the state and taxes. 

The 30-second ad titled “David Boswell Has Failed Us” began airing Wednesday in the three media markets that cover the 21-county 2nd District, according to NRCC spokesman Ken Spain. 

The ad was offered as a response to Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee ads that accuse Republican Brett Guthrie’s company of sending manufacturing work to Mexico, Spain said.  

“Democrats in Washington have lobbied false and misleading charges at Brett Guthrie that we believe shouldn’t go unanswered,” Spain said. 

The ad cites an Aug. 28, 2005 Courier-Journal article about the incentives states offer to attract automobile plants written at a time when state government had its eye on bringing a Kia plant to Kentucky. 

Here’s the section of the article cited in the ad - 

Kentucky certainly wants auto plants, but the attitude isn’t one of win at any cost, said state Sen. David Boswell, D-Owensboro, a member of the Economic Development, Labor and Tourism Committee.

“When you raise the bar so high, it’s almost a blessing when you don’t get the plant,” he said. 

The ad also uses a 2008 candidate questionnaire as the source of its claim that Boswell “supports raising taxes on families and small business.”

Information about the questionnaire was not immediately available from the NRCC. 

Here’s the ad - 

Mark Riddle, Boswell’s media consultant, said the ad is proof of how tight the 2nd District race has become. 

“You know the race is close when the NRCC comes in in the final weeks,” Riddle said. “We know this is a very competitive race and feel good about the direction our campaign is headed.”

Spain said the NRCC plans to continue airing ads through Election Day. Though the NRCC has helped Guthrie pay for previous TV ads, the new ad is the first one that is funded solely by the committee.