Attack Ad Campaign Targets P.A. Senator Who Voted to Block Planned Parenthood

Two pro-choice groups teamed up to launch an ad campaign this week attacking pro-life Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) over his consistent opposition of projects and organizations that fund abortion.

Emily's List's WOMEN VOTE! and Planned Parenthood Votes & Action Fund released a series of ads Thursday, deeming the senator's stance "dangerous" and "out of touch."

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The attack effort emerged from the groups' frustration after Toomey voted to defund Planned Parenthood late last year.

The ad buy from Emily's List is $1.1 million, according to the Hill, and its TV spot will air on broadcast and cable networks in the Philadelphia media market. Planned Parenthood Votes & Action Fund’s ad buy is a $250,000 digital ad that will also run in the Philadelphia area. The ads will run from Thursday to July 13, the Hill reported.

The first TV spot, titled, “Alive,” features Mary Lou Magyarits, a breast cancer survivor from Pennsylvania. In 30-seconds, Magyarits discusses the importance of screenings to detect cancer early. She says she was “outraged” by Toomey’s Planned Parenthood vote, a decision she claims blocked Pennsylvania women who rely on the organization from receiving the healthcare they need.

Image source: YouTube

Emily's List Executive Director Jessica O’Connell said in a statement, reported by the Hill, “Pat Toomey opted to shut down the government to defund Planned Parenthood, which only shows just how far he's willing to go to drive his dangerous, out of touch agenda. Pennsylvania women can't afford to have a Senator who is so reckless with their health care and the country's economy, and we're committed to send Pat Toomey packing in November."

Planned Parenthood Votes Executive Director Deirdre Schifeling also released a statement on Toomey, asserting that the senator “has systematically worked to block women from accessing birth control and cancer screenings at Planned Parenthood health centers.”

Following the ad's release, Toomey's campaign shot back by calling it "sleazy" and "misleading."

"Pat Toomey has worked to improve access to women's health care, but what he cannot support though is providing taxpayer dollars to an organization like Planned Parenthood, which has shown a horrific lack of regard for human life," spokesman Ted Kwong said in a statement released to the Hill.

Toomey is up against former gubernatorial chief of staff Katie McGinty in his battle for reelection this fall. McGinty, a firmly pro-choice candidate, once said, “Planned Parenthood saves lives and strengthens communities by providing quality, affordable healthcare for millions of men and women across the country.”

President Obama won Pennsylvania in both of his presidential runs.