House GOP leadership-aligned group launches $250K ad buy boosting Biden-district Republicans 

An advocacy nonprofit aligned with House Republican leadership is launching a $250,000 ad campaign aimed at boosting more than a dozen Republicans in districts won by President Biden, thanking them for voting on a “clean” stopgap funding bill that avoided a shutdown this fall.

The American Action Network (AAN), the sister organization of the McCarthy-aligned super PAC Congressional Leadership Fund, is airing the ads on digital platforms, according to plans first shared with The Hill. The ads mark the first ad expenditure for the group since Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) was ousted from his position as House Speaker last week. 

Among the 17 House Republicans that the ad buy focuses on are: Reps. David Schweikert (Ariz.), Juan Ciscomani (Ariz.), David Valadao (Calif.), Mike Garcia (Calif.), John Duarte (Calif.), Michelle Steel (Calif.), Young Kim (Calif.), Don Bacon (Neb.), Tom Kean Jr. (N.J.), Nick LaLota (N.Y.), Anthony D’Esposito (N.Y.), Mike Lawler (N.Y.), Marc Molinaro (N.Y.), Brandon Williams (N.Y.), Lori Chavez-DeRemer (Ore.), Brian Fitzpatrick (Pa.) and Jen Kiggans (Va.).

“There are two kinds of people in Washington: The ones who play politics and the ones who fight for solutions like Congresswoman Lori Chavez-DeRemer, an independent voice who worked to keep our government open,” says a narrator in one of the 30-second ads.

“Now, our hardworking troops and border patrol agents get the pay they were promised, and seniors in need will continue to get the care they deserve,” the narrator continues. “No partisan games, just solutions. That’s Lori Chavez-DeRemer. Call Congresswoman Chavez-DeRemer and thank her for keeping America open.”

House Republicans were able to overcome an impasse late last month over keeping the government funded, passing a 45-day stopgap funding bill to keep current spending levels in place for the government until mid-November. 

But that came after a separate House GOP stopgap bill, which featured changes to border policy and cuts in spending, was tanked by 21 Republicans amid a looming deadline to keep the government funded. 

The 45-day stopgap funding bill, which received bipartisan support, ultimately led to further turmoil within the House GOP, as an effort led by Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), which included support from seven other Republicans and all Democrats, led to the ouster of McCarthy from his Speakership role. The House is currently without a Speaker, with the need to fill the role all the more pressing given the war in Israel.

House Republicans are looking to protect their slim majority in the lower chamber heading into 2024. California and New York are seen as critical battleground states for both parties in winning the majority next year.