Democrats Turn Iran War Votes Into Midterm Attack Ads

Democratic candidates and allied advocacy groups are making the Iran war a central line of attack in the most competitive midterm races, spending an estimated $42 million on television ads that link Republican opponents to the conflict and to rising prices for groceries, fuel and other household goods. The strategy marks the culmination of an effort Democrats began in the spring, when they repeatedly forced votes on war powers resolutions aimed at ending the conflict.

Those votes had little practical effect, but they put lawmakers on record. Now they are being used in campaign advertising across the country, according to an analysis of ad data from AdImpact. At least half of the 50 most competitive House and Senate races, as rated by the Cook Political Report, featured Iran-related ads, and the spots aired on television more than 43,000 times between Sept. 1 and Oct. 14.

Of the 65 unique Iran-themed ads identified, 61 stressed household cost-of-living messages such as rising prices for fuel and other items. In Wisconsin, an ad says Republican Rep. Derrick Van Orden voted for what it calls the costly Iran war and spiking gas prices. In Nebraska, Democratic candidate Chris Backemeyer accuses Republican Rep. Mike Flood of voting repeatedly for Trump's tariffs and the Iran war, driving up prices on groceries, gas, cars and medicine. In Iowa, the group Vote Vets Action Fund says Republican Senate candidate Ashley Hinson voted five times for the Iran war, which it links to record prices for gas and fertilizer.

In some cases, the Republicans being targeted have never served in Congress and could not have cast votes on the war powers resolutions. Even so, Democrats are portraying them as likely rubber stamps for President Donald Trump on the conflict. The approach reflects a broader effort to tie the war to the cost of living, a message Democrats believe resonates with voters in swing districts.

Republicans are largely avoiding the Iran war in their own advertising. Their main themes since Sept. 1 have been taxes and crime, followed by character, health care and immigration. Republican strategist Ron Bonjean said the party's best strategy is to highlight Democratic weaknesses rather than engage on the war. «Talking about the Iran war is really not a winning message because you're playing on the Democratic turf,» he said.

Some Republicans have sought to distance themselves from the conflict outside their ads. In Michigan, Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers has said the war with Iran needs to end quickly. His Democratic opponent, Abdul El-Sayed, has run ads saying a billion dollars a day is going to a war «we have no business fighting» and calling for that money to be invested in Michigan. In Maine, Republican Sen. Susan Collins emphasized in a debate that she voted nine times to end the conflict, while Democratic challenger Troy Jackson said she voted five times to «make it happen.»

The Senate has voted 14 times on resolutions seeking to halt or restrict Trump's military action against Iran, and the House has held six such votes since the conflict began in late February. In the latest House vote, seven Republicans sided with Democrats to end the war, including four seeking reelection in highly competitive districts: Tom Barrett of Michigan, Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania, and Mariannette Miller-Meeks and Zach Nunn of Iowa. The yes votes from Miller-Meeks and Nunn were their first, a sign of growing weariness with the war.

The concentration of Iran-related advertising varies sharply by district. In California's 48th Congressional District, near San Diego, roughly a third of the 12,000 ads aired touch on Iran. Democrats there are using a remark Republican Jim Desmond made early in the war that higher prices were just «a spike» and that there would be «no pain, no gain.» An ad from Democratic candidate Marni von Wilpert asks: «No pain, no gain? Tell that to a family filling up their gas tank.» Desmond and the National Republican Congressional Committee responded with an ad that does not mention Iran but criticizes von Wilpert over taxes and fees from her time on the San Diego City Council, while saying Desmond supports suspending the gas tax.

Virginia's 2nd Congressional District, held by Republican Rep. Jen Kiggans, and Maine's 2nd Congressional District, an open seat, also rank high, with roughly a quarter of ads in each touching on Iran. The ads represent about 5% of total television spots across competitive races, but in the hardest-fought contests they have become a dominant theme.

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Connor Quincy

Technology Reporter

Connor Quincy covers public affairs, politics, business, culture and daily news for Core Memo. The role focuses on verification, context, and clear explanations for readers.

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