Hassan launches first ad of reelection bid focusing on veterans’ issues

Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) is out with the first TV ad of her 2022 reelection bid, launching a six-figure buy talking up her work on veterans’ issues. 

The 30-second ad spotlights Hassan’s father, a World War II veteran, before turning to a Bronze Star recipient named Ed McCabe.

“Senator Hassan understands what her father went through,” McCabe says in the ad. “She knows veterans aren’t Republican or Democrat. She says they all fought for this country.”

“She’ll work with anyone to solve issues for veterans,” he adds.

The ad launched Tuesday and is running on broadcast and cable television, as well as on radio and digital platforms.

The ad comes more than a year before the 2022 general election, which will decide whether Democrats will hold their congressional majorities for at least another two years. Hassan, who sits on the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, is facing her first reelection bid since winning her seat in 2016.

In launching the ad buy early, Hassan is hoping to counter a slew of attacks from Republican-aligned groups who see the New Hampshire senator as a top target next year. 

Top GOP officials, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), are aggressively trying to lure New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu (R) into the race, though he is still weighing whether to run for reelection next year. 

The Senate is currently divided 50-50 between both parties, with Democrats holding a one-vote advantage thanks to Vice President Harris, who is responsible for casting tie-breaking votes. 

If Republicans gain even one seat next year, it would give the party control of the upper chamber, and potentially Congress. The GOP only needs to pick up about a half-dozen seats in the House in 2022 to capture a majority in the lower chamber. 

Still, Republicans are defending more Senate seats next year than Democrats are. They’re also contending with a handful of retirements in competitive states like Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Ohio, raising Democrats’ hopes of solidifying control in the Senate.