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In Closing Ads, McNally & Teplitz Play to Base (Watch Videos)

In the competitive race for state Senate in Harrisburg, both candidates have given up on winning over the other side and are focusing on rallying the base.

In his final TV ad, John McNally accuses Democrat Rob Teplitz of supporting a commuter tax for Harrisburg  Teplitz slams McNally over abortion, saying the Republican opposes it even in cases of rape and incest.

Straight out of the Teplitz family Christmas card

“Teplitz supports a new commuter tax that would raise taxes on suburban residents to bail out the city politicians,” says an announcer in McNally’s ad. “Say that again? Raise suburban residents’ taxes to bail out city politicians who destroyed Harrisburg?”

It’s a clear play at the people outside of Harrisburg, who comprise a solid majority of voters. Harrisburg City’s debt crisis has been an all-encompassing mess, and McNally has run several mailers in addition to the ads that seek to link Teplitz to the morass.

In the April Patriot-News article the ad cites, it’s reported that Teplitz, “Said he would push to have a commuter tax put back on the table as a part of helping Harrisburg through its debt crisis.”

During a debate earlier this month, McNally said he’d represent both sides of the crisis in the legislature. But City-bashing is an effective way to rally votes in the home stretch.

Teplitz says he “does not want to see” a commuter tax, but that the option should be left on the table as a negotiating tool.

Teplitz also plays to his base – in this case, social liberals – by slamming McNally’s pro-life stance as well as now-familiar accusations that McNally supports budget cuts.

“I support a woman’s right to make her own health care decisions,” says Teplitz, straight to camera. “My opponent wants to make abortion illegal, even in cases of rape and incest.”

“No one will work harder to protect women’s health and strengthen our schools [than me.]”

Teplit scored points on this issue as well during their debate – but SD-15 isn’t exactly a liberal district, and it’s an interesting play to talk about abortion for 10 seconds of an ad.

It’s an accurate representation of McNally’s abortion stance.

Both are on TV heavily, with ads in regular rotation in the Harrisburg broadcast market. They are vying to replace outgoing Sen. Jeff Piccola (R-Dauphin).

Here’s Teplitz’s ad:

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