FIRST ON FOX: The National Rifle Association Political Victory Fund (NRA-PVF) political action committee is stepping into Ohio's U.S. Senate race with a seven-figure ad campaign targeting Democrat Sen. Sherrod Brown, who has an F rating from the NRA on Second Amendment advocacy.
The 30-second TV ad, airing on cable networks from Oct. 1 until the election, urges voters to "Vote like your life depends on it" and positions Brown's conservative opponent, Bernie Moreno, as a strong advocate for the Second Amendment.
The ad, which is part of a larger media blitz that includes digital ads, texting, direct mail and door-to-door canvassing, also slams "soft-on-crime politicians" like Brown for allegedly not defending gun owners' rights, "even putting anti-gun judges on the bench."
NRA BETS BIG ON MONTANA IN GUN RIGHTS PUSH AS TESTER TEETERS IN SENATE RACE
"Sen. Brown has failed us," the ad's narrator says.
"This November, gun owners must act to preserve their rights," said NRA-PVF Chair Randy Kozuch in a statement. "Soft-on-crime politicians like Sherrod Brown have made everyday life more dangerous for American communities but failed to protect gun owners and their right to defend themselves."
Moreno and Brown are in a neck and neck battle for a crucial Senate seat as most polls indicate that their race falls within the margin of error.
Brown has also earned himself a progressive reputation among some critics.
He has been criticized for supporting the Biden administration's policies nearly 100% of the time, according to the Voteview database maintained by UCLA political scientists, but has bucked the administration on certain issues related to climate change. But his critics say he is more in line with the progressive "Green New Deal" than he is the oil and gas industry in Ohio.
Ohio is the second state the NRA-PVF has targeted this election cycle. Last month, the gun group went live on Montana's airwaves with a massive push against vulnerable Democrat Sen. Jon Tester.
Fox News Digital's Brian Flood and Julia Johnson contributed to this report.
