Reps. Sinema, McSally release new campaign ads for US Senate seat

PHOENIX — U.S. Reps. Martha McSally and Kyrsten Sinema, seeking their respective party’s primary bid for the Senate seat Jeff Flake will vacate, stepped up campaigning this week, releasing another round of ads.

McSally, the Tucson Republican, focused her ad on border security and played her up her alignment with President Donald Trump, with a clip of him praising her.

The ad went out Friday.

Sinema’s latest ad, released Wednesday, concentrated on the Phoenix Democrat’s independent nature and ability to work with members of the opposing party as well as a willingness to go against her party.

“Arizonans are strong and independent. … We love our country, we’re skeptical of our government. … I’m just not afraid to stand alone to do what’s right,” Sinema said during the pitch.

Sinema also released a Spanish-language version of the ad.

Both candidates have outdone their rivals in fundraising: latest figures posted at OpenSecrets.org showed Sinema had raised $9.3 million, and had almost $5.4 million cash on hand.

The cycle ending June 30 showed McSally with $6.5 million raised and about $4.2 million cash on hand.

GOP rival Dr. Kelli Ward had raised nearly $2.6 million and had around $363,000 cash on hand, while Joe Arpaio had raised a little over $503,000 with about $254,000 cash on hand during that same time period.

Democratic candidate Deedra Abboud raised about $60,000 and had about $16,000 cash on hand.

Their ads have been on television and social media.

Ward, a former state senator, posted a digital ad in June, highlighting her commitment to tighter border security and immigration and her support of Trump.

She also claimed her opponents, whom she did not name but their pictures were on-screen, were not as dedicated to the border wall as she was.

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