Clinton campaign to air Nevada-specific TV ads

Democrat Hillary Clinton on Monday will become the first presidential candidate to air Nevada-specific television ads, with a 30-second spot that features Nevada statistics, people and issues.

Clinton’s “Stand by Us” commercial will replace her previous, 60-second ad on statewide airwaves, according to the campaign. The new ad paints the U.S. senator for New York as a fighter whose steadfastness gets results.

In the ad, a male voice says, “Hillary stood up for universal health care when almost no one else would and kept standing until 6 million kids had coverage.” Text at the bottom of the screen says: “30,000 in Nevada alone.”

As the voice-over moves on to Clinton’s support for raising the minimum wage, a snapshot shows her sitting on a couch with a North Las Vegas Hispanic family she visited in August, accompanied by Assemblyman Ruben Kihuen, D-Las Vegas.

After mentioning Clinton’s work to get health coverage for National Guard members, the ad concludes, “Now, Hillary’s standing up to stop the nuclear waste dump at Yucca Mountain. As president, she’ll always stand up for us.”

Clinton in October stocked up Nevada political capital by getting Senate hearings held on the planned federal nuclear waste repository, at which she blasted Energy Department officials for the site’s many regulatory problems.

Last week, Clinton and rival Barack Obama began airing ads on Nevada networks, becoming the first and only presidential candidates to advertise on TV in the state.

The starting gun for presidential nominating contests goes off Jan. 3 in Iowa. Nevada will hold its first-ever early caucuses on Jan. 19.

Contact reporter Molly Ball at mball @reviewjournal.com or (702) 387-2919.