A conservative political group is targeting Democrats Joe Manchin and Heidi Heitkamp – senators running for re-election in states President Trump won by huge margins in 2016 – to back Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, a report on Tuesday said.
The Judicial Crisis Network is spending $400,000 on a last-minute ad buy intended to pressure Manchin of West Virginia and Heitkamp of North Dakota to confirm Kavanaugh, who has been accused of sexual misconduct, Politico reported.
The two are the only undecided Democrats in the chamber the GOP controls by 51-49.
The ads show Kavanaugh at last Thursday’s Senate Judiciary Committee blasting Democrats on the panel as part of a “search and destroy” mission.
A narrator says voters will “never forget” whose side they take.
“Judge Kavanaugh fought back, clearing his name, defending his honor. Now Sen. Heitkamp has a choice: Stand with President Trump, Judge Kavanaugh, and all who thought this was a national disgrace. Or stand with them,” the North Dakota version of the ad says.
The group’s chief counsel, Carrie Severino, said Manchin and Heitkamp “need to decide whether they stand with Judge Kavanaugh and President Trump, or with the outrageous smear campaign unleashed by Chuck Schumer and the liberal mob.”
They released polls showing voters in North Dakota support Kavanaugh by a 56-26 percent margin and by a 58-28 percent margin in West Virginia.
The ad buy is part of a $12 million campaign launched by the Judicial Crisis Network to confirm Kavanaugh.
It also supported Justice Neil Gorsuch, who Manchin and Heitkamp both voted for.



