FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Chairman Tom Donelson
Steve Russell (R, OK-5) jumped out to an early lead on election night and handily captured the Republican nomination in the runoff election by double digits.
“Americas PAC went in big for Steve Russell early,” PAC Chairman Tom Donelson said.
Americas PAC committed to Steve Russell in April, when he was polling in fourth place of the six-way GOP primary. For the runoff Americas PAC spent more than $50,000 on radio advertising highlighting Russell’s track record of success as military officer, small business owner and his dedication to stopping the out of control government spending that hurts the economy.
“We got him the nomination!” Donelson exclaimed while watching the election returns. Donleson predicted a Russell win by 8 points a week ago based on polling by VCreek/AMG. “I was confident Russell would win, but did not anticipate nearly all the undecided voters breaking his way. But then again, we did increase our ad buy in the last week.”
Americas PAC has not determined if it will be involved in the general election. The Fifth District of Oklahoma has a Cook PVI of +12 Republican. The likely Democrat nominee is state legislator Al McAffrey, one of the most liberal members of the Oklahoma legislature.
“Americas PAC is involved in elections in multiple states and getting a true constitutional conservative the nomination was our primary objective in Oklahoma,” Donelson said.
Americas PAC has supported conservatives and Republicans since 2002 and is currently engaged in radio campaigns supporting Republican candidates in multiple states.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Chairman Tom Donelson
A poll conducted VCreek/AMG shows Steve Russell with a solid double digit lead over Patrice Douglas a week out from the runoff election.
“Despite launching a series of outlandish attacks, Patrice Douglas has not gained any traction against Steve Russell,” said Americas PAC Chairman Tom Donelson.
The VCreek/AMG poll results match previous polls by JMC Analytics which conducted polls for the Russell campaign.
The topline results of the VCreek/AMG Poll show:
Steve Russell 43.7%
Douglas 30.8%
Undecided 25.4%
The poll interviewed 656 likely Republican voters and has a 3.8% margin of error.
“A back of the envelope projection results in Russell winning with 54%,” Donelson said.
Keith Gaddie, Chairman of the University of Oklahoma Political Science Department recently made a similar prediction as reported by the McCarville Report.
Americas PAC has supported conservatives and Republicans since 2002 and is currently engaged in radio campaigns supporting Republican candidates in multiple states.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Chairman Tom Donelson
Americas PAC released a new ad in Oklahoma City contrasting Steve Russell’s proven record of leadership to Patrice Douglas’ record of raising taxes and reducing the amount of work she performs for the people of Oklahoma.
“Patrice Douglas is campaigning for Congress on Taxpayer time,” said Americas PAC Chairman Tom Donelson.
On February 18th 2014, shortly after she declared as a candidate for U.S. Congress, Corporation Commissioner Patrice Douglas voted for a motion to have the Commission meet only two days a week instead of five. On the same day, Douglas made a motion for her to be replaced as Chair of the Commission citing her need to focus on her Congressional campaign.
“Put simply, Commissioner Douglas gave herself three paid days off a week to campaign for Congress. Douglas is doing 60% less work, but Douglas is still getting her full $111,000 a year government salary,” Donelson said.
The stunning actions of Commissioner Douglas led Tulsa Today to take the dramatic step of Dis-endorsing Patrice Douglas.
“When you listen to the audio of the meeting, it becomes obvious that Douglas is looking for a way to free up more time to run for Congress,” Donelson said. “After decades of meeting five days a week, the commission suddenly decides to meet only two days a week? At the exact same time Douglas declares for Congress?”
Audio of the meeting can be heard via this Tulsa Today article.
Americas PAC had not planned on mentioning Douglas’ record.
“Our first ad of the runoff highlighted Steve Russell’s proven record as a small business owner and platform of stopping the out of control government spending that hurts the economy. But Patrice Douglas, seeing her poll numbers dropping, decided to attack Russell in a desperate attempt to win the election,” Donelson said. “Members of Americas PAC felt it was necessary to educate the voters of the Fifth District about Patrice Douglas’ record—a record of higher spending and tax increases while Mayor of Edmond and doing less work for the people of Oklahoma while still drawing her full salary as a Corporation Commissioner.”
When a sales tax increase passed, Douglas is quoted by the Edmond Sun as saying, “Yeah, we were able to get it done!”
The Comprehensive Annual Financial Reports of Edmond show a consistent trend of higher government spending while Patrice Douglas was Mayor.
Americas PAC has supported conservatives and Republicans since 2002 and is currently engaged in radio campaigns supporting Republican candidates in multiple states.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Chairman Tom Donelson
Americas PAC has made a $45,000 radio buy in support of Steve Russell’s campaign for Oklahoma’s Fifth Congressional District.
“Americas PAC committed to Steve Russell in April before the primary and we intend to support him through to the nomination,” said Americas PAC Chairman Tom Donelson.
Americas PAC had a substantial radio campaign in support of Russell in the primary election.
Currently Russell holds a double digit lead in the race according to polling by JMC Analytics.
The new ad for the runoff titled “Never Quit” highlights Russell’s economic stance of stopping out of control government debt and spending that hurt the economy and his success as the owner of a small manufacturing business.
“Most people know Steve Russell as a decorated soldier. He is also a successful businessman who built a manufacturing business from the ground up,” Donelson said.
The ad can be heard using this player
Americas PAC has supported conservatives and Republicans since 2002 and is currently engaged in radio campaigns supporting Republican candidates in multiple states.
For Immediate Release
Contact: Chairman Tom Donelson
Lawyers from Dick Durbin’s campaign have sent letters to radio stations across Illinois demanding that they stop running an ad by Americas PAC or face losing their FCC broadcasting licenses.
“Obviously Americas PAC has hit on an issue that works,” said Americas PAC Chairman Tom Donelson. “And just like he has in the past, Dick Durbin is trying to use every tool at his disposal to stifle free speech.”
Tom Donelson predicted in April that Durbin would use threats and intimidation against Americas PAC’s efforts.
Last week Americas PAC began airing a radio ad in Illinois highlighting the wage gap in Durbin’s senate office. You can hear the ad by using the audio player below.
An analysis by the Washington Free Beacon and reports in the Washington Times show that on average, Dick Durbin pays his female staffers less than men.
In speeches on the Senate Floor in support of the so-called Paycheck Fairness Act, Senator Durbin frequently states that “women earn seventy-seven cents for every dollar earned by men.” The “seventy-seven cents” figure used by Durbin is calculated by comparing the total earnings of all men and all women with no regard to hours worked, types of work performed and the many of other legal and legitimate factors which can affect pay.
“Why would Democrat US Senator Dick Durbin use a grossly inaccurate statistic to mislead women and push his legislative agenda, then cry foul when the same math is used against him in a political ad?” asked Donelson. “Others just used the same math as Durbin, but applied it to his Senate Staff. If it weren’t for the double standards, Democrats like Dick Durbin would have no standards at all.”
Analysis of Senate Staff payroll by the Washington Free Beacon found that in 2012 Durbin “paid men $13,063 more, a difference of 23 percent.”
“So, when Durbin says ‘women earn seventy-seven cents for every dollar earned by men’ it could also be an accurate description of the pay of his US Senate Staff in 2012,” Donelson said. “I eagerly await the news media asking Senator Durbin directly about his staff’s pay.”
The White House has its own well documented wage gap, as reported by the Washington Post, and CBS news.
A letter from the Washington D.C. law firm Perkins Coie LLP on behalf of Durbin’s campaign does not refute the findings of the Washington Free Beacon that, overall, men are paid more than women on Durbin’s staff. It merely provides examples that for various positions on Durbin’s staff, men and women are paid equally or in some cases women are paid more.
“It is curious how Durbin attempts—but fails—to use a proper analysis of wages to defend himself, but a misleading analysis when pushing legislation that is little more than a payoff to trial lawyers,” Donelson said. “A week ago in a press release I stated, ‘I am eager to hear Durbin’s explanation of why his female staffers are paid less than male staffers.’ The answer, though not given directly, is close to what I expected. I was hoping for something more like the one given by the White House when they were caught with their own wage gap problem. I just wish Durbin would apply the same standard he uses defending himself to private businesses.”
Since 1963 the Equal Pay Act has made it illegal to pay men and women with the same experience differently for equal work. The new legislation pushed by Democrats, known as the Paycheck Fairness Act, does not change the premise of that long-standing law, but just makes it easier for trial lawyers earn money from class action lawsuits.
“Dick Durbin’s crony capitalism and hypocrisy are on full display,” Donelson said.
Key provisions of the proposed act would not apply to the Federal Government.
“This isn’t about equal pay. This is about paying off trial lawyers,” Donelson said. “Simply put, Dick Durbin and the Democrats are hypocritically pretending to be champions of equal pay so they can line the pockets of trial lawyers who donate to their campaigns.”
Americas PAC has no intent of voluntarily pulling the ad.
FCC licensed stations are regulated by the Federal Government. Senator Durbin has shown a willingness to target political groups that disagree with the Obama agenda. In 2012 Durbin requested the IRS review groups engaged in issue advocacy.
“If anything, we’ll increase the buy,” Donelson said. “And even if the stations knuckle under to the threats of Senator Durbin and his lawyers, Americas PAC will continue to run ads highlighting Senator Durbin’s and the President’s wage gap problems and hypocrisy. We’re scripting an even harder hitting ad already.”
“It is not surprising that an entity licensed by the federal government would be unlikely to want to risk censure by Durbin, the President and their allies,” Donelson said.
A full copy of the letter sent by Durbin’s lawyers to radio stations threatening their FCC broadcasting licenses is here.
“Democrats threatening broadcasters or a political group’s right to free speech should not be a surprise to anyone who has been paying attention,” Donelson said. “Senator Harry Reid has called for a Constitutional Amendment to ban political free speech, but really only the speech of their opponents, groups like Americas PAC. I’m sure they will carve out an exemption for the $100 million dollars Tom Steyer plans on spending.”