This article first appeared in the St. Louis Beacon, Aug. 28, 2012 - Bill Enyart – the Democratic candidate for Illinois’ 12th Congressional District seat – released his first television ad on Tuesday, a spot focusing on his professional and military background.
Entitled “Track,” the television ad focuses on Enyart’s tenure as head of the Illinois National Guard and alludes to his teenage years working at a Caterpillar factory. Those types of experience, Enyart says in the ad, is the type of “leadership we need to get back on track.”
“As a teenager, I worked at a factory just like this one. As a commanding General of our National Guard I led young men and women who fought in our wars and served in our communities,” Enyart says in the ad. “I’m running for Congress because our country’s gotten off track. The middle class is paying more, while millionaires pay less.”
Enyart is squaring off against Republican Jason Plummer and Green Party candidate Paula Bradshaw in the battle for the seat currently held by U.S. Rep. Jerry Costello. Costello, D-Belleville, is not running for another term.
While Plummer hasn’t released a television ad yet, the National Chamber of Commerce has run television commercials aimed at boosting his candidacy. It is widely expected that both candidates will receive assistance from third-party groups such as the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and the National Republican Congressional Committee.