I Agree to See

The Web's Largest Political Ad Library

I Agree to See

Sign up for our weekly newsletter

I agree to follow
  • Watch
    • Latest Political Ads Happening Now
    • Hilarious Political Late Night Clips
    • WWI and WWII Propaganda
    • Ads From the Past
    • Speeches
  • Latest Elections
    • 2018 Elections
    • 2017 Elections
    • 2016 Presidential Election
    • 2016 Congressional Elections
    • Browse All
  • PSA’s
  • Blog
    • Blog: I Approve This Message
    • Political Blogroll
  • FAQ
    • The Campaign Brain
    • 2016 Presidential Election
    • Political Trivia
    • Campaign and Election Terms
  • Submit Your Ad
    • Candidate Connect
    • California Candidates
    • Build Your Profile
  • About Us
    • FAQ About Us
    • I Agree to See: Internship
  • Subscribe

Jim Gray Levels Late Hit On Amy McGrath’s Residency

Posted on
May 21, 2018
by Agree Staff

Hey @JimGrayCongress this is what losing looks like! Take down your #swiftboat attacks on @AmyMcGrathKY’s service to our country #BlueWave #votevets #KY06 pic.twitter.com/LrwSLWJMOV

— VoteVets (@votevets) May 19, 2018


In final days of the Democratic primary in Kentucky's Sixth Congressional District, Lexington Mayor Jim Gray went on the attack against viral video sensation and Navy fighter pilot Amy McGrath, hammering her for not having lived in the district until last year.

Gray's negative ad takes pains to mitigate potential backlash, using a female narrator to criticize a female candidate, and expressing gratitude for McGrath's many years of military service abroad. Nevertheless, the ad zeroes in on McGrath's weak spot.

Gray Accuses McGrath of Moving Just to Run for Congress

The ad doesn't begin harshly. "Amy McGrath grew up near Covington," the narrator begins, "and since then, she's lived around the country and the world serving our nation. We're all grateful for that." The first image is a map of Kentucky, colored blue save for a red pin on the northern border to mark Covington.

The problem for McGrath is, Covington is 90 minutes north of Lexington -- in the Fourth district, not the Sixth.

The map turns into an animated globe, spinning with red pins to show all the places McGrath has lived.

The blue silhouette of Kentucky returns, and the narrator shifts gears. "But now she's running for Congress to represent the one place she's never lived: here." The Sixth district is colored a lighter shade of blue, with a red pin in the middle. The map is titled, "THE ONE PLACE SHE'S NEVER LIVED."

An animated moving van appears, as the narrator says, "In fact, she moved here from Maryland just last year to run for Congress."

Trying one more time to soften the blow, the narrator says, "We honor Amy McGrath's service, but shouldn't she live here for a while before she tries to represent us?" In the final frame, the red pin in the Sixth is replaced by a TV screen and a still from one of her ads, a subtle swipe at her viral video strategy.

Amy McGrath Defends Living Abroad For Military Service

You can't find the ad on Jim Gray's social media platforms. But the political action committee VoteVets, which supports Democratic military veteran candidates including McGrath, tried to turn the negative ad into a positive for its candidate. It shared the video on its own Twitter account along with a jab at Gray: "this is what losing looks like! Take down your #swiftboat attacks on @AmyMcGrathKY’s service to our country." ("#swiftboat refers to the infamous Republican attacks on Sen. John Kerry's Vietnam service during the 2004 presidential campaign.)

McGrath herself responded on her Facebook account, without sharing the ad. Ignoring the ad's attempt to avoid maligning her military service, McGrath called it "an attack against any American citizen who chooses to serve their country in times of war and then come home to continue their service in another way."

The Democratic constituents of the Sixth will have to decide what they want more: a veteran or a local.
  • Previous
  • |
  • Next
I agree to follow

Trending

  • Kirsten Gillibrand Anti-Trump
    Kirsten Gillibrand Launches First Anti-Trump Ad of 2020 Campaign

    Desperate for a boost as she lags in the polls, presidential candidate...

    More
  • State Senate sarah mcbride video
    Transgender Activist Sarah McBride Announces Run for State Senate Focusing on Issues, Not Identity

    Transgender activist Sarah McBride, who rose to national prominence af...

    More
  • astronaut mark kelly arizona senate gabby giffords mark kelly us senate arizona
    Astronaut Mark Kelly Launches Bid for Arizona Senate, With Help from Gabby Giffords

    Mark Kelly entered the Arizona Senate race against incumbent Martha Mc...

    More
  • tulsi gabbard 2020 presidential campaign announcement tulsi gabbard official presidential campaign
    Tulsi Gabbard Brings “Love and Aloha” to the 2020 Presidential Campaign

    In the run-up to her 2020 presidential campaign entry, Hawaii Rep. Tul...

    More
  • kamala harris 2020 campaign announcement kamala harris for president
    Kamala Harris Makes It Official

    Sen. Kamala Harris entered the 2020 Democratic presidential primary wi...

    More
  • larry hogan 2020 presidential campaign republican challengers to trump 2020 republican candidates
    Is This Inauguration Video from Larry Hogan a Step Towards Running Against Trump in the GOP Primary?

    Politico’s report that Republican Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan is c...

    More
  • kamala harris mood mix stephen colbert kamala harris 2020 presidential campaign
    Kamala Harris Offers Her “Mood Mix” to Stephen Colbert

    The “Colbert Primary” is off and running, as several Democ...

    More
  • cory booker 2020 presidential campaign announcement video nike cory booker 2020
    Cory Booker Starts 2020 Race With Gangbusters Video

    Sen. Cory Booker jumped into the 2020 Democratic presidential primary ...

    More
  • lizzie fletcher voted for nancy pelosi republicans attack democrats who voted for nancy pelosi
    Republicans Slam Democratic Frosh Who Voted For Nancy Pelosi

    The House GOP-affiliated Super PAC Congressional Leadership Fund waste...

    More
  • Who is happy that donald trump is president
    Liberal Group Asks: Who’s Happy That Trump is President?

    A little known liberal group called Future Forward USA Action is airin...

    More
  • barack obama eric holder redistricting barack obama redistricting barack obama gerrymandering eric holder gerrymandering barack obama is back
    Obama is Back … and Ready To Tackle Partisan Gerrymandering

    Former President Barack Obama is putting his considerable prestige beh...

    More
  • the koch brothers tax reform bill donald trump tax reform koch brothers how the koch brothers sell tax reform gop tax bill charles koch david koch paul ryan tax reform donald trump
    How the Koch Brothers Sell Tax Reform: A Guide

    It was a balmy August afternoon in 2015, when Jeb Bush, Scott Walker, ...

    More
  Speakeasy Digital Ads I agree to see

Recent posts

  • Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam Makes Star Turn on “The Bachelorette”
  • Speedos: Which Maine Senate Nominee Wore Them Best?
  • The Top 10 Senate Races to Watch in 2018
  • The Top 10 House Races to Watch in 2018
  • Wikileaks Slid into Don Jr.’s DMs and Tried to Finesse Donald Trump’s Tax Returns

Comments Below

Recent Posts

  • Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam Makes Star Turn on “The Bachelorette”
  • Speedos: Which Maine Senate Nominee Wore Them Best?
  • The Top 10 Senate Races to Watch in 2018
  • Home
  • Subscribe
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Our Staff
  • Advertise
  • Privacy
  • Terms
© 2018 I Agree to See is a project by Storefront Political Media
  • Privacy
  • Terms
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise on the Campaign Exchange
  • Our Staff