Hugin up on cable TV with first ad

Republican Bob Hugin is up on the air with the first TV ad of the 2018 U.S. Senate campaign.  He’s spending in the $90,000 a week range to run the 30-second spot on CNN, Fox News and CNBC, sources say.

Called “Service,” the ad subtly contracts Hugin with Democratic opponent Bob Menendez.  Photos highlight Hugin’s roots in a working-class neighborhood in Union City (where Menendez also grew up) and shows pictures of him in the Marines.  It includes footage of Hugin’s announcement speech: “It’s what you do for others as a leader that makes a difference, not what you do for yourself.  We can and must do better in Washington, D.C.”

Hugin presents himself to New Jerseyans as a “health care leader who helped developed life-saving cancer treatments for millions of people.”  Menendez is expected to look to change that narrative, identifying Hugin as a big-pharma millionaire who endangered cancer patients by hiding the side effects of anti-cancer drugs marketed by his company, Celgene.

Look for Menendez to hit Hugin hard on Celgene issues – like a $280 million settlement of a lawsuit alleging that his company paid kickbacks to doctors who illegally prescribed their drugs to cancer patients.

A post-script on a recent Hugin fundraising solicitation essentially lays out his own challenge to Menendez, who is fighting to regain his popularity after a prolonged corruption trial that ended with his being cleared on all charges.

“As a young man, I joined the Marine Corps and served our country with honor and distinction. Bob Menendez went into politics to serve himself and his donors – and got indicted for corruption. New Jersey deserves so much better,” Hugin wrote.