Kiley, Morse begin airing attack ads in race for California's 3rd congressional district
SACRAMENTO — With three weeks until Election Day, campaigns are in the final stretch to earn your vote.
In California's 3rd Congress District, Republican incumbent Kevin Kiley and Democratic challenger Jessica Morse are going after each other on TV.
Congressman Kiley's contributions total $3.9 million. Challenger Morse has now raised $2.5 million. The ads are all over the airwaves.
Kiley attacked Morse with one ad narrated: "Under Newsom and Morse, insurance and utility rates skyrocketed."
Morse attacked Kiley with an ad announcing: "Kevin Kiley wants to ban abortion nationwide with no exceptions for rape or incest."
Kiley said the ads targeting him on his abortion position "are false."
"He has said on the record that that's not his view, so how do you explain that?" I asked Morse.
"I think we have to look at Kiley — what he does, rather than what he says," Morse said. "He has taken really strong votes to try and take away women's reproductive rights since he's been in Congress. He's voted to take away abortion rights for every member of the military."
"The reality is, I've said as long as I've been seeking federal office, that this is a state issue, and California voters have already resolved the issue for themselves," Kiley said.
Kiley does score a 100% rating for the Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America group. Paul Mitchell with Political Data Incorporated says voters in this congressional district have changed in two years, making a Republican stronghold less sure. The pandemic led progressive voters inland.
"In the last several years, we've seen some changes in this district," Mitchell said. "And it's true in the aggregate. It's not necessarily true for one individual voter, but in whole, you would expect that transition will impact these races."
