Anti-Trump group uses Facebook to appeal to Mormon voters ahead of Arizona primary
Mar 22, 2016, 7:30 AM | Updated: 11:53 am
(AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
PHOENIX — As the Arizona primary election approaches on Tuesday, one anti-Trump campaign is using Facebook advertisements to draw Mormon voters to cast their ballot against the Republican presidential candidate.
According to Buzzfeed, the SuperPAC Make America Awesome launched a Facebook campaign last week, dedicated to encouraging Mormon voters to go out and vote for Texas Sen. Ted Cruz.
Mormon is the term most often given to members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a religion with a large presence in both Arizona and Utah. The two states will participate in a primary on Tuesday.
Liz Mair with the organization said the ads — which featured a vocal opponent of the billionaire, Mitt Romney, highlighted Trump’s pro-choice policies and showcased Trump’s wife Melania in the nude — will reach 10,000 Mormons per day.
The group’s mission is to block and reverse Trump’s “political ascent” using “unconventional and cost-effective tactics…with the objective of providing maximum donor value,” according to its website.
This is the first time the SuperPAC has supported a specific candidate, Mair said. She said the organization aims to assist Cruz in the polls, specifically with the LDS community.
“We’re not so sure (Cruz) has LDS outreach locked down, though, and this is an area where we have a little bit of experience and knowledge over and above some Republican operatives, so it’s something we’ve decided to delve into for these contests,” she said in an interview with Buzzfeed.
According to FiveThirtyEight, Trump has a 92 percent chance of taking Arizona, while Cruz is slated to win Utah with 98 percent.