“Strength. Conviction. Progress” are the three words Democratic Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s re-election campaign wants you to remember about him, according to his first campaign ad.
Malloy’s campaign purchased more than $254,500 television time between today and July 20.
The 60-second ad titled “Tough Times” highlights the natural disasters that have impacted the state, along with the Sandy Hook School shooting, and the $3.67 billion budget deficit.
“Through it all, Dan Malloy has been strong…steady…by our side,” a male narrator says over somber musical tones.
When he first took office, Malloy’s message was “change is hard,” but over the past year as things, including the economy, haven’t improved as much as he would have liked it’s become “change takes time.”
The latest television ad is a reflection of his new “change takes time” motto.
“Connecticut’s been through some very difficult times over the past few years, but under the strong, steady leadership of Gov. Dan Malloy and Lt. Gov. Nancy Wyman, we are finally making progress,” Jon Blair, Malloy’s campaign manager, said in a press release. “No one is declaring victory. As Gov. Malloy and Lt. Gov. Wyman say all the time, there’s a lot more work to do. But we are making progress and we can’t afford to return to the failed policies of the past.”
The advertisement was produced by AKPD Message and Media of Chicago, a firm founded by David Axelrod, President Barack Obama’s campaign strategist.
According to the most recent campaign report Malloy spent more than $37,000 on the ad.
The ad is not the first of the 2014 season. Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Foley released his first television ad last week, which features his wife Leslie reintroducing him to the voters.
Malloy beat Foley in 2010 by 6,404 votes. Foley is looking for a rematch this year, but first he will have to defeat Sen. John McKinney, who is challenging him for the Republican nomination.
McKinney filmed his first television ad last week, but so far has not purchased any television time.
The Malloy campaign ad was released the same day as the Connecticut Republican Party created a Tumblr page titled “Wrong Way Malloy.”
The page, according to Republicans, will aggregate news stories and a variety of other content from various sources that highlight Connecticut’s performance under Malloy.
“Almost every day a new story surfaces or a new ranking is released that shows Connecticut lagging far behind the rest of the nation,” Connecticut Republican Party Executive Director Elissa Voccola said. “Clearly willing to do or say whatever it takes to get re-elected, Gov. Malloy has spent the past three years misleading voters about his record on jobs and the economy. This page will allow people to easily see the real story.”