Senate races

Pro-McConnell group touts his opposition to ‘death tax’ in new ad

A new ad from a pro-Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) group touts his opposition to the “death tax,” characterizing it as a defense of family farms.

{mosads}The ad from Kentucky Opportunity Coalition features farmer John Mahan of Bourbon County, Ky., who says “the death tax makes it harder for us to hand our farm on to our kids.”

“Mitch McConnell’s been fighting to end the death tax, to help us keep Kentucky’s family farms,” he adds.

A narrator urges viewers to sign a petition opposing the “death tax,” which is what opponents call the estate tax, the tax levied against a deceased person’s property.

The deal brokered during the 2012 “fiscal-cliff” negotiations by Vice President Biden and McConnell included a lower increase to the estate tax than Democrats were pushing, which Republicans and rural Democrats say helped protect family farms.

And in June of last year, McConnell introduced the Death Tax Repeal Act of 2013.

Kentucky Opportunity Coalition launched a $1.83 million media buy to air a series of issue-focused ads touting McConnell’s work in the Senate. The group focused on military and veterans issues in its first ad and also launched a radio ad hitting President Obama’s policies on coal.

McConnell is facing businessman Matt Bevin in his primary and is expected to face Democrat Alison Lundergan Grimes in the general election.