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Democratic Ad Says Bruce Poliquin Doesn’t ‘Fit’ Maine’s 2nd District

House Majority PAC is up with its second ad in the tossup district

House Majority PAC is attacking Maine Rep. Bruce Poliquin for not fitting in with his district. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call File Photo)
House Majority PAC is attacking Maine Rep. Bruce Poliquin for not fitting in with his district. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

House Majority PAC is on the air Thursday with another ad in Maine’s 2nd District.

The hit on Republican Rep. Bruce Poliquin by the group, which helps elect Democrats to the House, is part of a more than $700,000 buy in the Portland and Bangor media markets that began on Aug. 12 and will run through Sept. 15.

Like the super PAC’s first ad in this district, which debuted in mid-August, the identity of this large, rural area is a central theme in this spot. But while the first ad made the case that Democratic nominee Emily Cain “is one of us,” the second ad argues that Poliquin does not “fit in.”

“You know the Bruce Poliquin type. Wall Street millionaire. Puts himself first. People like that don’t fit in up here,” the narrator says as a balding Poliquin impersonator wearing a business suit struggles to climb into a kayak.

[Rich Candidates, Poor House Districts]

Poliquin is the 64th wealthiest member of Congress, according to Roll Call’s 2015 Wealth of Congress Index, with a net worth of at least $5.2 million. 

The freshman Republican defeated Cain by 5 points in 2014, and Democrats recruited Cain early for a rematch. Democrats have carried this district at the presidential level, but Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has said he’ll make a play for Maine, which splits its electoral votes by district. The Rothenberg & Gonzales Political Report/Roll Call rates this race a Tossup

[Why This Vulnerable Freshman Is Surprising People

Poliquin proved an impressive early fundraiser. But Cain, a former state lawmaker, outraised the congressman in the recent second quarter, bringing in $543,000 to Poliquin’s $413,000. Overall though, she had nearly $1 million less in cash on hand at the end of the second quarter. 

[Mainer Says Emily Cain Is ‘One of Us’]

House Majority PAC previously reserved $600,000 in the Portland media market and $300,000 in the Bangor media market for later this fall. It’s adding a $23,000 reservation to Presque Isle, which is on the northern edge of the district. End Citizens United, another Democratic super PAC, has also gone on the air attacking Poliquin as a puppet of Wall Street. 

Contact Pathé at simonepathe@rollcall.com and follow her on Twitter at @sfpathe.

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