Pryor touts vote for O-Care in new ad

Sen. Mark Pryor (D-Ark.) is touting his vote for ObamaCare in a new campaign ad, one of the few times this cycle in which a red-state Democrat has promoted his support for the controversial law.

{mosads}The ad features Pryor with his father, popular former Sen. David Pryor (D-Ark.), talking about the family’s experiences when Mark got cancer.

“When Mark was diagnosed with cancer, we thought we might lose him,” David Pryor says in the ad. “Mark’s insurance company didn’t want to pay for the treatment that ultimately saved his life.”

The younger Pryor then cites ObamaCare regulations that force insurance companies to provide coverage for pre-existing conditions.

“No one should be fighting an insurance company while you’re fighting for your life. That’s why I helped pass a law that prevents insurance companies from canceling your policy if you get sick, or deny coverage for pre-existing conditions,” he says.

Pryor never mentions ObamaCare by name — President Obama and his signature law remain very unpopular in the state. But his open support for the law’s benefits comes as he faces a tight race against Rep. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.).

The ad might be the first of the cycle where a Democrat fully embraces the law, though a super-PAC backing Sen. Mark Begich (D-Alaska) did so last spring.