Bloglander

Fifth district congressional candidate Joe Pakootas released his first campaign commercial yesterday.

The 30-second spot features a narrator commending Pakootas' support of "equal pay for equal work" and his belief that women's healthcare decisions "should be made between a woman and her doctor — not a woman and her boss." The ad is bookended by personal endorsements from Heather Foley, wife of former 5th district congressman and Speaker of the House Tom Foley.  

No surprise here: Campaign manager Susan Brudnicki says the ad was designed specifically to target women voters. It debuted on network channels yesterday and airs on cable today. You can catch it during commercial breaks for the Today show, Ellen DeGeneres, Live with Kelly and Michael, and network news.

Pakootas, a Democrat, is vying for Republican incumbent Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers' seat. He's been vastly outraised by the congresswoman, 12 to 1, and until last week, couldn't afford any TV or radio ads.

“We wanted to reach out and let them know that a lot of the issues Cathy has voted against impact woman and that Joe is supportive and will work to strengthen those things she has voted against,” Brudnicki told the Inlander, "like the Violence Against Women Act and equal pay legislation. ...All the things that Cathy has voted against all these years impact women in some fashion or another, whether it be cutting food stamps from the SNAP program or not extending unemployment insurance."  

In 2012, McMorris Rodgers opposed the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act passed by the Senate, which added new protections for LGBT people, Native Americans and undocumented immigrants, and sponsored a stripped-down version of the bill in the House. She ultimately voted for the Senate's version of bill a year later. She also voted against the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act and Paycheck Fairness Act in 2009. 

The candidates held their first debate at Whitman College in Walla Walla last week. They'll square off again on October 30 at the Lincoln Center. The debate, sponsored by Greater Spokane Incorporated, starts at 4pm and costs $10 to attend. Click here to register to attend.