New Portman ad targets Strickland’s support of Iran deal

Sen. Rob Portman’s (R-Ohio) reelection campaign is launching a new assault on likely general election opponent Ted Strickland (D) over the former Ohio governor’s support of the Iran nuclear deal.

A new ad pairs news reports questioning the efficacy of the deal with pictures of Strickland.

{mosads}“Ohioans don’t support the Iran deal, so why does Ted Strickland?” a narrator asks as the 41-second video begins.

“Supporting this deal, especially in light of new information, continues to demonstrate bad judgment,” Portman’s campaign manager, Corry Bliss, said in a statement. “It is clear that Ted Strickland chose to stand with President Obama over the best interests of our country.”

The video also features a short clip of hijab-clad women shouting with the caption “death to America!” and alludes to four Americans who are being held hostage in Iran. 

“And we have learned that earlier this year, Iran freed top al Qaeda terrorists, sending them back to the battlefield. Yet Ted Strickland supports a deal that keeps four Americans behind bars,” the narrator continues.

The ad is the latest installment in a series targeting Strickland over his support of the deal.

Ohio Democrats have responded by pointing to Portman’s support of the Iraq War.

“It’s shocking Senator Portman would talk about bad judgment given that Portman voted for the war in Iraq and for eight free trade agreements that shipped Ohio jobs overseas, while Ted Strickland voted against the war in Iraq and against eight free trade agreements that shipped Ohio jobs overseas,” Ohio Democratic Party spokeswoman Jennifer Donohue said in a statement earlier this month.

Republicans believe the nuclear accord, which lifts sanctions on Iran in exchange for limits on its nuclear program, can be a potent weapon heading into the 2016 cycle.

A Quinnipiac University poll released last month found that 58 percent of Ohioans oppose the deal, compared to 24 percent who support it.

The Ohio Senate race is expected to be one of the most hotly contested in the nation.

A RealClearPolitics average of polls finds Strickland narrowly in the lead with 42.5 percent support, compared to Portman’s 42 percent.