Republicans are hammering Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Elissa Slotkin on immigration, trying to tie her to Biden and Harris’ open-border policies in two new ads released Wednesday.
Both ads target Slotkin, a three-term congresswoman, for positions she supported while in the House.
One of the ads features Livingston County Sheriff Mike Murphy and addresses illegal immigration from a law-and-order perspective. Last month, Murphy’s department hosted former President Donald Trump for a speech focused on crime and illegal immigration.
“As sheriff, I see every day how illegal immigration has affected Michigan,” Murphy said in the 30-second spot. “I hold Kamala Harris and Elissa Slotkin accountable.”
Murphy continued: “Harris and Slotkin opened our borders to illegal immigrants. And then they reward them with taxpayer-funded benefits. These liberal policies are a threat to families and taxpayers.”
The second spot focuses on illegal immigration from an economic perspective. It features Vanessa Holden, a mother of four from Webberville, near Lansing. Inflation has made everyday life more expensive.
“Rising prices are costing us thousands of dollars more every year,” Holden said. “And while we’re paying more, Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin has been giving our money to illegal immigrants.”
Both ads reference Slotkin’s March 2021 vote in favor of Biden’s COVID-19 stimulus package, the American Rescue Plan. Michigan’s House delegation voted for the American Rescue Plan along party lines, with seven Republicans in favor and seven Democrats opposed. Both senators, Democrats Debbie Stabenow and Gary Peters, also supported the bill.
“Elissa Slotkin and Kamala Harris seem more concerned with helping illegal immigrants than helping Michiganders struggling with rising prices,” said Maggie Abboud, a spokeswoman for the National Republican Senatorial Committee.
Slotkin will face former Republican Congressman Mike Rogers in the November election.
The ad campaign is part of a $100 million effort by Senate Republicans to flip the upper chamber. While Slotkin leads in polls and holds a fundraising advantage, the race has tightened. Cook Political Report rates Slotkin-Rogers as undecided, a shift from the Democratic trend.
