Washington - Some press coverage of Andy Harris’ stunning ten-point victory over incumbent Representative Wayne Gilchrest in Maryland’s First Congressional District has missed the extent to which this race was about economic issues. But anyone who watched the intense volleying of television commercials and mailers over the past couple of weeks knows that other issues were not mentioned as often, with each candidate trying to claim the mantle of fiscal conservatism.
Out of the thousands of television spots run over the course of the MD-01 race, only one television commercial mentioned the Iraq war, and that was in passing. Most of the other ads talked about taxes and government spending. The same is true for the many mailers sent out during the course of the campaign. The Club for Growth PAC, as always, also focused on economic issues, contrasting the candidates’ records on taxes, spending, and property rights with hundreds of thousands of dollars in TV ads. Consider the following list of television commercials run in MD-01:
*Costs are estimated
To be sure, Gilchrest’s anti-war vote played some role in voters’ decisions, as did other issues. Andy Harris ran as an across-the-board conservative and stood in stark contrast to Gilchrest’s liberal record on economic, social, and foreign policy issues, but the focus of his message was rooted in economic conservative values, like lower taxes, less government, and greater economic freedom. Wayne Gilchrest countered by trying to portray himself as an economic conservative, but was unable to make the sale convincingly.
“It is clear from both the message content in this campaign and Andy Harris’ victory that economic conservatism is alive and well and a dominant issue in Republican primaries,” said Club for Growth President Pat Toomey. “The single most powerful message among Republican voters is a message of limited government, economic freedom, and free enterprise. That was the message that carried Andy Harris to victory last night and it is the same message that will help Republicans win across the country.”
PAID FOR BY CLUB FOR GROWTH PAC AND NOT AUTHORIZED BY ANY CANDIDATE OR CANDIDATE'S COMMITTEE. 202-955-5500.
Out of the thousands of television spots run over the course of the MD-01 race, only one television commercial mentioned the Iraq war, and that was in passing. Most of the other ads talked about taxes and government spending. The same is true for the many mailers sent out during the course of the campaign. The Club for Growth PAC, as always, also focused on economic issues, contrasting the candidates’ records on taxes, spending, and property rights with hundreds of thousands of dollars in TV ads. Consider the following list of television commercials run in MD-01:
*Costs are estimated
To be sure, Gilchrest’s anti-war vote played some role in voters’ decisions, as did other issues. Andy Harris ran as an across-the-board conservative and stood in stark contrast to Gilchrest’s liberal record on economic, social, and foreign policy issues, but the focus of his message was rooted in economic conservative values, like lower taxes, less government, and greater economic freedom. Wayne Gilchrest countered by trying to portray himself as an economic conservative, but was unable to make the sale convincingly.
“It is clear from both the message content in this campaign and Andy Harris’ victory that economic conservatism is alive and well and a dominant issue in Republican primaries,” said Club for Growth President Pat Toomey. “The single most powerful message among Republican voters is a message of limited government, economic freedom, and free enterprise. That was the message that carried Andy Harris to victory last night and it is the same message that will help Republicans win across the country.”
PAID FOR BY CLUB FOR GROWTH PAC AND NOT AUTHORIZED BY ANY CANDIDATE OR CANDIDATE'S COMMITTEE. 202-955-5500.
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