Brian Varela’s second TV ad in the 7th congressional district’s Democratic primary hones in on an issue that’s long animated the progressive wing of his party: Medicare for All.
In the new ad, which Varela’s campaign said is backed by a six-figure buy on cable, streaming, and digital, Varela tells voters about his own mom’s own cancer diagnosis and their family’s struggle to stay financially afloat. Medicare for All, he said, is something he’d “fight like hell” to enact in order to help families like his.
“In the richest country on earth, no one should have to choose between their health and their home,” Varela said in a statement. “No mom should have to worry that getting medical treatment will bankrupt her kids. That is what this campaign is about, and that is the fight I am bringing to Washington.”
Varela’s first ad, which began airing in late April, focused on immigration, with a promise to “dismantle ICE” if he’s elected. His three Democratic primary opponents – Rebecca Bennett, Tina Shah, and Michael Roth – are also live with their own ads introducing themselves to voters, and a veterans group has spent more than $600,000 putting more pro-Bennett messages on the airwaves.
Script
Brian Varela: “We all know someone who’s fought cancer. I’m Brian Varela, and when my mom was sick, my parents couldn’t afford insurance to pay for chemo. It nearly bankrupted us – and then we lost her. Too many are devastated by our broken health care system. It’s why I’ll fight like hell in Congress for Medicare for All. I’m Brian Varela, and I approve this message because I can defeat Tom Kean Jr. and take on Donald Trump and the insurance companies – for them.”