Most ads that have run in U.S. House and Senate races so far this year have been focused on bread and butter issues like jobs and healthcare. That’s according to the latest survey of campaign ads by the Wesleyan University Media Project.
Travis Ridout with the Wesleyan Media Project says in Connecticut not many ads have run for congressional races. But those that have are focused on healthcare and jobs.
“We are find that 9 in 10, 91 percent, are mentioning the issue of healthcare. Jobs come in second. Sixty-five percent of ads are mentioning jobs. Obviously some of the ads are mentioning other issues but healthcare and jobs seem to be at the top.”
Ridout says taxes are top in New York State congressional races.
“Almost half of the political ads that we’ve seen so far in New York have mentioned taxes, 47 percent.”
He says ads dealing with wedge issues like immigration are not featured at all in Connecticut, though there are some running in New York.
“For an issue like immigration it’s not necessarily states at the border where we are seeing a lot of mentions. It’s states like Indiana for instance.”
The Wesleyan Media Project surveyed ads aired in House and Senate races across the country during the month of August.
