The U.S. Chamber of Commerce launched a television ad today in support of U.S. Rep. Fred Upton, R-St. Joseph, praising his record on taxes, regulations and fighting “Obamacare.”
Upton, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, has already been subject to negative advertising by the Club for Growth accusing him of being a “liberal congressman” and who again faces a Republican primary challenger in August from former state Rep. Jack Hoogendyk.
The 30-second spot will air for two weeks and for an undisclosed amount of money. Members of the national, state and local Chamber told reporters in a conference call Thursday their campaign is not in response to the negative ads against Upton, but rather it’s incumbent on them to uphold their friends in Congress.
The effort is part of the Chamber’s national campaign in support of 20 House and Senate candidates who the federation believes have a strong pro-business record. Typically the chamber begins its political campaign in August, but launched its largest opening round of ads now because the threat is great against the business community, chamber officials said.
Rich Studley, president and CEO of the Michigan Chamber, said he has nothing negative to say about Hoogendyk, but the approach is to emphasize the positives aboutUpton, who chairs one of the most important committees in the House and who has served Southwest Michigan for 25 years.
“We are proud to stand with Fred Upton,” he said
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