Northern Virginia residents, stay tuned for even more commercials about the race for the 10th congressional between now and Nov. 8.
Both parties consider the race one of the most competitive in the nation and a must-win for Democrats trying to flip control of the House. Independent analysts rate the district a “toss up” tilting toward the Republican, due largely to the influence of the presidential contest on the northern Virginia district.
The 10th District is anchored by Loudoun County, whose affluent, diverse and well-educated residents are turned off by GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump, according to polls. Bennett is hoping that a strong turnout among Democrats voting for Hilliary Clinton, who is leading Trump in Virginia by double digits, will help her wrest the seat from Comstock.
But the district also includes Loudoun County, Manassas, Manassas Park and Clarke and Frederick counties as well as parts of Fairfax and Prince William counties, where Trump has more support.
Comstock urged Trump to drop out of the race earlier this month after the release of a 2005 "Access Hollywood" video that captured him speaking in lewd terms about women. It remains to be seen if the approach wins over independent voters without alienating Trump fans in conservative, rural western swaths of the district.
Bennett entered the final stretch with $90,000 in the bank — a small sum compared to Comstock’s $2 million in cash on hand — but the candidates have gotten help from national groups.
Outside groups have poured nearly $5.2 million into almost exclusively negative ads in the race, according to data compiled by the nonpartisan Virginia Public Access Project.
On Tuesday, Comstock’s campaign began airing a positive ad about her while the National Republican Congressional Committee and the Congressional Leadership Fund put out ads knocking Bennett.
Comstock’s campaign ad tries to portray her as a bipartisan advocate for the district as she seeks reelection to a second term.
The NRCC ad argues that Bennett, a real estate executive, broke a promise to put a day care center in a building she developed in the District's gentrifying NoMa neighborhood. Bennett says she and her partners renegotiated a deal with the city to donate $1 million in lieu of the day care center, a feature that she says would have discouraged a federal tenant.
The NRCC also says she lived in her Georgetown condo while paying lower real estate taxes in Virginia. Bennett counters that she only occasionally stayed in the District, where her business is located, and her primary home was always in Virginia.
On both points, Bennett’s attorneys sent letters to television and radio stations airing the ads that say the ads are “false” and threaten legal action.
At the same time, Bennett’s campaign and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee released ads tying Comstock to Trump — a national strategy that assumes Trump will be a drag on down-ballot races.
The ads say the Comstock, like Trump, wants to overturn Roe v. Wade and is opposed to gun control and comprehensive immigration reform. They also dinged Comstock for staying silent for months when asked if she would vote for Trump.
