Liberal group spends $250K attacking Steve Daines over coronavirus

A liberal group spent $250,000 to attack Sen. Steve Daines’ response to the coronavirus outbreak in a new television ad campaign.

Protect Our Care started airing the 30-second ad aimed at the Montana Republican running for reelection on cable and broadcast television in the state on Thursday. Protect Our Care is a group devoted to protecting Obamacare that is aligned with Senate Democrats.

“Too many Montana families go to sleep at night worried about health care,” a narrator says in the ad. “Coverage, costs, now the fear of coronavirus — that doesn’t worry Steve Daines.”

Protect Our Care Executive Director Brad Woodhouse said in a statement that Mr. Daines wants Montanans to lose their health care coverage.

“Since arriving in the Senate, Steve Daines has remained dead set on taking away Montanans’ health care and stripping protections for Montanans with preexisting conditions,” Mr. Woodhouse said.

The National Republican Senatorial Committee responded to the ad by criticizing what it perceives as Democrats’ politicizing the ongoing health care crisis.

“Less than 24 hours after the [World Health Organization] declared the Coronavirus a pandemic, Chuck Schumer’s dark money allies launched disgusting attack ads that politicize a disease that knows no party,” Jesse Hunt, NRSC spokesman, said in a statement. “If Democrats want to be seen as working toward a bipartisan solution on this incredibly serious issue, then they should cease using it to try to score cheap political points.”

Mr. Daines’ reelection bid faces a challenge from Democrat Gov. Steve Bullock, who formally launched his campaign earlier this week.

The senator’s campaign said in a statement that Mr. Bullock should be ashamed of how his supporters are addressing the coronavirus outbreak.

“It’s astounding that Steve Bullock’s dark-money allies are on the airwaves right now trying to use the coronavirus as a political weapon,” said Shane Scanlon, Daines’ campaign manager. “Steve Bullock needs to denounce this group and demand they take down this desperate political attack ad.”