EXCLUSIVE: Republican PAC criticizes Democrats for being 'soft on crime' in new ad in swing states

The Republican State Leadership Committee (RSLC) PAC is launching an ad in several swing states accusing Democrats of being “too soft on crime,” according to a press release obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation.

The ad, which is expected to air in Michigan, Minnesota, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin later this week, is part of a large-scale “Republican Roadmap” campaign with a six-figure budget aimed at presenting Republicans as the party of law and order to voters in swing states, an RSLC spokesperson told DCNF. The RSLC's “soft-on-crime” ad accuses Democrats of pushing policies such as defunding police and eliminating cash bail, while highlighting legislative actions taken by Republicans to promote public safety.

“Not only are American families struggling with high prices at the grocery store or at the gas pump, but they are feeling increasingly unsafe in their communities,” RSLC President Dee Duncan said in a press release provided to DCNF. “While Joe Biden is not running, Kamala Harris and Tim Walz must answer for the Biden-Harris agenda that has become soft on crime and created this chaos, particularly thanks to their open border policies. State Republicans will continue to fight for additional funding for our police and to secure the border to prevent criminal activity as we try to change course and make our cities and communities safe again.” (RELATED: Republicans outpace Democrats in fundraising as control of key legislative bodies uncertain)

The complaint referred to Jose Ibarra, a 26-year-old Venezuelan citizen who was indicted by a grand jury in the murder of 22-year-old student Laken Riley in Athens, Georgia. The Republican-led House of Representatives passed the Laken Riley Act in March, which, if passed, would require the federal government to arrest foreign nationals who commit “burglary, theft, embezzlement or [a] Shoplifting.”

The bill was placed on the Senate agenda in March and has not been pursued since, according to congressional records.

The complaint also referred to Victor Antonio Martinez-Hernandez, an illegal immigrant accused of raping and murdering a Maryland mother of five, and two illegal Venezuelan immigrants accused of strangling a 12-year-old girl.

“Joe Biden may no longer be on the ballot, but his soft-on-crime policies remain in place in the states,” the ad's spokesperson said. “The Democrats' reckless agenda on every ballot has led to a crime wave across the country.”

The ad also shows images of headlines linking Vice President Kamala Harris to proposals such as defunding the police.

“The status quo is: more police means more safety,” Harris said in an interview shown in the ad. “That's just wrong.”

The Michigan State Senate has a 20-18 Democratic majority and the Michigan House of Representatives has a 56-54 Democratic majority, making the chambers attractive targets for Republicans, according to Ballotpedia. The chambers in Arizona, New Hampshire, Minnesota and Pennsylvania have similarly narrow majorities, paving the way for a swing in either direction.

“Our Republican Roadmap series is our game plan that we will continue to implement to ensure more Republicans are elected at the state level in November to win back and hold state majorities to combat the Democrats' soft crime agenda,” Duncan said in the press release.

Both the RSLC and its liberal counterpart, the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, have raised tens of millions of dollars to pour into the state elections in November.

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