Obamacare an early subject for Lowden, Hutchison

The two top Republicans running for lieutenant governor — Sue Lowden and Mark Hutchison — have dueling TV ads on Hutchison’s role in President Barack Obama’s signature health care insurance law.

Hutchison, a state senator and attorney, launched his ad Monday. It notes that he was asked by GOP Gov. Brian Sandoval to represent Nevada in its lawsuit against Obamacare. He agreed, and took the job for free. The U.S. Supreme Court later upheld the legislation, calling it constitutional and a new tax on health care consumers.

“Mark fought against Obamacare all the way to the United States Supreme Court,” says the ad, which shows Hutchison walking alongside Sandoval, who has endorsed his lieutenant governor’s campaign over Lowden’s.

“Mark Hutchison, the leader in Nevada’s fight against Obamacare,” says the ad.

Lowden came out Tuesday, answering the ad and noting Hutchison voted three times in the Legislature to implement Obamacare in Nevada at the behest of Sandoval, who started a Silver State Health Insurance Exchange. The votes involved expanding Medicaid as part of the state budget, for example, and backing other administrative details of the program.

“There was a time when Senator Mark Hutchison was against Obamacare. That was a good thing. But then he flip-flopped,” the ad says, showing a picture of Hutchson turning around. “He voted not once, not twice, but three separate times to force Obamacare on the people of Nevada. That was a bad thing.”

Lowden’s TV ad, which has a limited run for two weeks on FOX.

Contact Laura Myers at lmyers@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2919. Follow her on Twitter: @lmyerslvrj.