The Congressional Leadership Fund has two new advertisements out supporting Ohio State Sen. Troy Balderson (R.), who is running in the special election in Ohio's 12th Congressional District.
The ads, "Education" and "Dishonest Danny," promote Balderson's support of education, including his commitment to vocational training and improving accountability. They also take aim at Balderson's opponent, Franklin County Recorder Danny O'Connor (D.).
Delaware County teacher Marybeth Comfort touts Balderson's support for education during his tenure in the Ohio State Legislature.
"I’m a former elementary teacher and the mom of six. Education is important to me, that’s why I am supporting Troy Balderson," Comfort said. "Troy fought for the largest investment in education in Ohio history. And he’s fighting to ensure our kids are career-ready, strengthening vocational training and freezing tuition, investing in classrooms and requiring accountability. Troy Balderson fights hard for Ohio kids."
CLF also accused O'Connor, the Democratic candidate, of hypocrisy by participating in the very cronyism he previously condemned.
"We need to have people who are committed to public service every day," O'Connor said during a 2016 debate. "Not people who are committed to partisan politics. Not people who are appointed because of cronyism."
In "Dishonest Danny," CLF points out how O'Connor gave friends positions in his office and skipped nearly half of the Franklin County Data Processing Board meetings while he claimed he was working on the state's voter registration system.
Balderson and O'Connor are running in the Aug. 7 special election race to fill the seat left by Rep. Pat Tiberi (R.), who announced in October he would leave Congress before the end of his term to run the Ohio Business Roundtable and to spend more time with his family. Polling of the race shows Balderson with a strong lead.