This article was republished with permission from 91欧美激情’s news partners at .聽Sign up for today.
Two Maryland unions have joined forces to form a political action committee whose first order of business has been to run a TV ad attacking state Sen. Michael Hough, the Republican nominee for county executive who is in a close race with County Councilmember Jessica Fitzwater (D).
The Maryland State Education Association and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 44 have launched a political action committee called Marylanders for Freedom and Opportunity. The PAC began airing an ad on Monday spotlighting Hough鈥檚 record on abortion rights.
鈥淭he basic right to choose is at stake,鈥� a narrator says at the top of the 30-second ad. 鈥淏ut Mike Hough has been attacking it for years.鈥�
The ad then features footage of Hough from a 2019 Facebook chat. 鈥淚 am pro-life and proudly so,鈥� he says in the clip. 鈥淚 believe that we need to protect life from conception.鈥�
The ad lists some of Hough鈥檚 legislative votes on reproductive rights while the narrator resumes.
鈥淗e鈥檚 repeatedly tried to restrict and ban abortion in Maryland and refused to protect women鈥檚 health care. And now that the Supreme Court has overturned Roe, Hough鈥檚 extreme views are more dangerous to us than ever. And he鈥檚 running to be our county executive. So don鈥檛 let Hough bring his extreme agenda home to us.鈥�
According to a campaign finance report, Marylanders for Freedom and Opportunity has spent $80,900 so far on the ad, sending the money to Wavelength Media, a Democratic media firm in Washington, D.C. The filing with the Maryland State Board of Elections did not list campaign contributions to the PAC, but Travis Tazelaar, a veteran Democratic operative who is working as a strategist for the organization, said the teachers鈥� union and the IBEW are the sole donors so far.
In a statement to Maryland Matters, Hough characterized the attack ad as an attempt to distract voters.
鈥淛essica Fitzwater and her radical allies are desperately trying to talk about anything other than there actual issues a county executive will address,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hey know that Frederick County voters do not want Jessica Fitzwater鈥檚 radical agenda of higher taxes and high-density housing as they work to turn Frederick into Montgomery County North.鈥�
Hough launched a TV ad of his own on Monday, which focuses on crime and features Gov. Larry Hogan (R), who carried Frederick County with almost 68% of the vote four years ago.
鈥淧ublic safety is a top issue for me, and I know it鈥檚 a top issue for Mike Hough,鈥� Hogan says in the 30-second ad. 鈥淢ike Hough and I have worked together for the last several years. He has supported our efforts to refund the police鈥e鈥檚 going to get the bad guys off the streets and make things safer. Mike Hough, he just wants to get things done. He鈥檚 not a grand-stander. He鈥檚 not into performance politics. He is the kind of guy who tries to bring people together. Join me in supporting Mike Hough for Frederick County executive.鈥�
Hough said he will spend $25,000 a week to air the ad in the Frederick market.
Tazelaar, a seasoned Democratic strategist who was executive director of the Maryland Democratic Party when Martin O鈥橫alley (D) was governor and was campaign manager for Ben Jealous, Hogan鈥檚 Democratic challenger in 2018, said the ad against Hough is just the beginning for the PAC.
The two unions, he said, are 鈥渢rying to put a coalition together鈥� of other groups that may want to contribute to the PAC. How the PAC spends its time and money going forward will depend on the desires of its contributors.
鈥淲e鈥檙e focused mostly on Hough for now but we are looking for other opportunities to play in other close county races and statewide races,鈥� Tazelaar said.
The Hough-Fitzwater race seems a microcosm of the politics that are playing out in competitive elections across the country: Republicans are largely trying to focus on pocketbook issues, inflation and crime, while Democrats are emphasizing abortion and potential Republican threats to the democratic process in the U.S.
鈥淢ike Hough鈥檚 extreme agenda is focused on taking away women鈥檚 freedom to make personal decisions and access the health care they need,鈥� said Marylanders for Freedom and Opportunity Chair Elizabeth Paul, a Washington County resident and teacher in the Frederick County Public Schools who ran unsuccessfully for a House of Delegates seat in 2014. 鈥淲e should have leaders who protect our freedoms 鈥� not extreme politicians like Mike Hough who try to take them away.鈥�
Hough, Tazelaar asserted, 鈥渟eems very motivated to talk about anything but abortion. So we鈥檙e motivated to tell people how he鈥檚 been working hard to ban abortion in the state.鈥�
The PAC鈥檚 ad is the second independent expenditure of the general election on Fitzwater鈥檚 behalf. Earlier this month, the Maryland State Education Association鈥檚 Fund for Children and Public Education Political Action Committee began airing a spot on Frederick County cable channels and digital platforms praising Fitzwater. The teachers鈥� union has spent at least $72,900 on the ad, according to campaign finance reports.
Through Aug. 23, Fitzwater had about $118,000 in her campaign treasury compared to $434,000 for Hough. The two are vying to replace term-limited County Executive Jan Gardner (D), an ally of Fitzwater鈥檚.
Fitzwater is an elementary school music teacher in Frederick County 鈥� and a former leader of the local teachers鈥� union. But by law she is not allowed to coordinate the unions and other entities funding the PACs and independent expenditure campaigns.
