The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee launched a digital attack advertisement on Monday claiming a Republican congressional candidate in California raised taxes and increased the costs of gas and energy in his district as an assemblyman.
The ad, titled "Knockout," highlights how Rocky Chavez, who represents the 76th Assembly District in California's General Assembly, voted for the biggest budget in California's state history in June 2017 after pledging never to raise taxes in 2012.
"Rocky Chavez promised he'd never raise taxes and would oppose wasteful spending. Then, Rocky did the opposite," the ad's narrator said. "Chavez voted for the biggest budget in state history that spends $183 billion of your money and Chavez even voted to raise your gas and energy costs."
"On spending your money and costing you even more, Rocky Chavez's broken promises will knock you out," the narrator continued.
The DCCC's attack on Chavez contradicts the position Democrats have been pushing on the tax issue. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.) told Politico's Jake Sherman last week that an ad claiming she will raise taxes if Democrats take back the House is "accurate."
In the case of an approved proposal to raise gas taxes, which was passed by the California Senate in April 2017, the plan was "forcibly pushed" by Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown, according to the Los Angeles Times. Democrats hold a majority in both the California Assembly, currently holding 53 seats to Republican's 25, and in the California Senate, holding 27 seats to Republican's 13.
Chavez is running to represent the 49th Congressional District following Rep. Darrell Issa's (R., Calif.) January announcement that he planned to retire after nearly two decades in Congress.