EXCLUSIVE — Rep. Mike Flood (R-NE) is set to release an ad featuring him shooting down a Chinese spy balloon as the Nebraska Republican seeks to pad his reelection bid amid surging interest in his home state ahead of the November election.
The 30-second ad, which will debut on Wednesday and was first shared with the Washington Examiner, features a spy balloon flying across Nebraska skies with the GOP incumbent detailing the security risks posed by the Chinese Communist Party.
Although Flood is not in a competitive seat, Nebraska’s First Congressional District is considered to be R+9 and rated as Solid Republican, according to the Cook Political Report. Advisers to his campaign say the ad buy comes as Nebraska has become a main focus of the 2024 election.
Democrats have poured millions of dollars into the Omaha media market, which comprises half of Flood’s district, because of the state’s unique electoral map. Nebraska operates under a Congressional District Method, allocating two electoral votes to the candidate who wins the statewide popular vote, and then separately awarding one electoral vote to the popular vote winner in each congressional district.
As a result, Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District holds one of the most coveted electoral votes in the country as a blue dot in the otherwise red state, attracting the attention of Democrats and putting Republicans on edge.
The ad comes as the Nebraska Senate race between Sen. Deb Fischer (R-NE) and Independent challenger Dan Osborn has become much more competitive than initially expected. Flood’s ad could give a boost to Fischer, as well as Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE), who represents the state’s competitive 2nd District, by amplifying GOP voices in their ad markets.
Flood is spending money on ads in his own race to ensure he takes “nothing for granted,” according to a source familiar with the campaign. Part of that effort is drawing attention to the Chinese spy balloon that was seen traveling across the United States early last year and was spotted close to Offutt Air Force Base near Omaha, which is in Flood’s district.
“China is our enemy, plain and simple. The Chinese Communist Party hacks our computers, buys up land near military bases, and spies on our armed forces,” Flood says in the ad. “That’s why I’m fighting to keep Chinese technology off of our cell towers, stop China from buying Nebraska farmland, and protect Americans from Chinese spying and cyberattacks.”
The ad then pans to Flood as he pulls a firearm out of his holster to shoot toward the spy balloon, causing it to explode.
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“I’m Mike Flood, and I approve this message because I’ll always protect Nebraska, whatever it takes,” he said.
The mid-six-figure ad will air on broadcast, cable, and digital platforms and is scheduled to begin on Wednesday.