New Cotton TV Spot Targets Rankin Political Base

Fourth District Congressional candidate Tom Cotton launched a new TV spot today (May 9), an ad that focuses on his military service in Iraq and concerns regarding the debt and health care reform.

The ad buy announcement from his campaign also notes a strategic move by Cotton to compete in territories that have seen strong voter turnout for his main primary opponent, Beth Anne Rankin.

In releasing the new ad, which you can view below, Cotton told supporters, “We will start advertising in the Shreveport TV market today. You may be surprised to hear that we’re buying time on Louisiana stations. But the Shreveport market covers eight very important counties in southwest Arkansas.  We’ve had a very active grassroots campaign in these counties and reached Republican voters there through mail, cable television, and radio. Because of your generosity and continued financial support, we will be able to reach voters in these eight counties through broadcast television until Election Day.”

Cotton has been on the airwaves for weeks in the Little Rock and Fort Smith TV markets. The expansion into Shreveport blankets coverage in Columbia, Hempstead, Howard, Lafayette, Little River, Miller, Nevada, and Sevier counties. It also adds cable penetration in Union County.

Columbia County is Rankin’s home county. She performed exceedingly well in Columbia, Miller and Union counties in 2010.  Also, the third Republican in the race, John Cowart, is a native of Miller County.

The latest Talk Business-Hendrix College Poll on the GOP primary showed the race between Cotton and Rankin to be a dead heat, 38.5%-38.5%.  New polling in the Fourth Congressional District will be released Sunday night on Talk Business, which airs on Fox 16 at 10 p.m.