Bill Nelson releases first TV ad for Senate re-election bid
A day after the Florida primaries, Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Florida, released his first television ad for his re-election bid to the U.S. Senate. Nelson, who ran unopposed in the Democratic primary, will face Republican Governor Rick Scott in the general election.
The ad, titled "Oath," was released in English and Spanish and is "part of a massive, statewide media buy" according to a campaign press release. The ad highlights Nelson's public service record in the Army, during his space voyage and in the Senate.
"I believe a public office is a public trust," Nelson said in the ad. "You're there to serve the people, not the special interests."
Chris Hartline, Scott's campaign spokesperson, responded to the ad in the statement criticizing Nelson's congressional record.
"In Bill Nelson's latest ad he says 'If you know who you're fighting for and you're willing to put the politics aside, you can get a lot done,'" Hartline said. "We look forward to Bill Nelson's next ad listing all of his accomplishments. Floridians will surely appreciate the 30 seconds of silence."
Scott's campaign released a new ad titled "Fair Opportunity" on Tuesday sharing his experience while living in public housing. In the ad, Scott said his "life wasn't easy and the struggles were real" and that if elected, he noted he will fight for all Floridians to have a fair opportunity. Scott, now a multimillionaire businessman, grew up poor and lived in public housing with his family.
Nelson's campaign ad was released a couple of weeks after USA Today reported that Scott has dominated Florida's advertising, but noted that Nelson was poised to fight back. In its analysis of ad buys from Kantar Media's Campaign Media Analysis Group, USA Today found that Nelson and his allies spent only $17.4 million on television advertising before August, compared to Scott and other Republican groups, which spent $47.6 million through July.
Scott's ads have slammed Nelson over his ties to Washington as a third-term senator and blame the Democratic incumbent for the toxic algae crisis that is hurting Florida wildlife and tourism.
Here's Nelson's ad:
And here's Scott's ad: