New Day for America plans to spend big on the ad in New Hampshire in the coming weeks.

The super-PAC supporting Ohio Governor John Kasich’s campaign for president is invoking Donald Trump’s iconic helicopter in a new TV commercial that will target New Hampshire voters this week.

New Day for America, which boosted Republican Kasich’s standing in polls in the critical first-in-the-nation primary state of New Hampshire with a previous flight of television ads that started in early July, hopes to keep his momentum going with a new, cheeky ad that implicitly compares Kasich’s record of government accomplishment with Trump’s boasts.

The ad, obtained by Bloomberg Politics, begins with a close up on helicopter blades. “He’s turned red ink to black,” a deep, narrator’s voice says as the rotor starts turning and the aircraft makes a slow ascent. “Shattered expectations. Experience. Success. Speaks to every one of us. Blunt. Direct. Not part of the tired system.”

As captions at the bottom of the screen display Kasich’s jobs, tax and budget record as a public official, the narrator continues: “Best of all, he’s done great things. Not for himself, but for us.”

Only then is Kasich’s name, emblazoned in red on the side of the helicopter, revealed.

Unlike almost every other candidate in the Republican race, Kasich has avoided tangling with Trump, who has regularly traded fire with other hopefuls, such as Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio, Carly Fiorina, and Scott Walker. As fellow Republicans sparred with The Donald on the debate stage last week, Kasich instead urged civility. “If I were sitting at home and watch thing back and forth, I would be inclined to turn it off,” he warned, encouraging his party to focus on policy issues instead of infighting.

Now the governor’s super-PAC’s efforts have the potential to change that dynamic, albeit with a lighthearted touch.

The admaker who produced the commercial for the super-PAC, Fred Davis, is known for his attention-getting videos. In this case, although Trump is never mentioned or shown, the intention is clear—to spoof the lifestyle of Trump, who brought his branded helicopter to the Iowa State Fair this summer, and make the case that Kasich has similar straight-talking qualities but with a record of accomplishment that the billionaire lacks.

Another possible part of the gambit: although Kasich has moved up in New Hampshire polling, he still has a long way to get both in that state and nationally to raise his name ID, and slapping his last name on the side of a helicopter is sure to garner at least some attention.

And the core message of the ad, listing Kasich’s accomplishments as a congressman and now as governor, echoes the candidate’s own emphasis, which directly challenges the political success of Trump, Dr. Ben Carson, and the field’s current momentum candidate, businesswoman Fiorina, none of whom have held elective office.

According to a source familiar with the super-PAC’s plans, New Day for America intends to spend about $228,000 per week for the next two weeks at least airing the spot on New Hampshire broadcast and cable TV channels, as well on Boston broadcast TV stations that reach the Granite State.‎ To date, the super-PAC has spent more than $5.7 million on New Hampshire and Boston media to boost Kasich.

In the last few rounds of public polling in New Hampshire, Kasich hovers around 10 percent, and he is now competing with Bush and Fiorina for a third-place spot behind Trump and Carson. Nationally, even after two debate performances that have earned strong reviews, Kasich still lags well behind the front-runners.

Although the super-PAC’s first flight of ads helped boost Kasich in New Hampshire (along with frequent campaign trips there and several high-profile endorsements), the airwaves are more crowded now, as other campaigns and super-PACS begin to advertise, as well. New Day for America has spent millions on commercials targeting New Hampshire voters, staying on the air continuously from the day they began their advertising.

Read the original story at Bloomberg Politics.

Allies of Jeb Bush and John Kasich are engaging in a full-fledged ad war, with super-PACs supporting the two Republicans releasing scathing TV commercials against each other on New Hampshire airwaves this week.

New Day for America, the outside group backing Kasich’s presidential campaign, is going up with a 30-second spot that calls out Bush for “desperately slinging mud” in the nomination contest. Right to Rise USA, which supports Bush, is calling Kasich “wrong on New Hampshire issues.”

Bush’s well-funded allies have spent millions attacking rivals in New Hampshire. Kasich has been targeted in mailers for his decision to expand Medicaid in Ohio and for his record on guns. Right to Rise has also slammed Marco Rubio in TV ads for missing Senate votes, and compared him to a weather vane on immigration.

New Day’s anti-Bush ad, first obtained by Bloomberg Politics, will start airing on Friday in New Hampshire, said a person familiar with the group’s plans who asked not to be named. It comes as Kasich, Bush, and other establishment-style candidates fight for second place behind front-runner Donald Trump in the Feb. 9 primary—and a ticket out of the Granite State.

The tone of the ad targeting Bush contrasts with the message coming from Kasich’s campaign itself: that it’s avoided the circular firing squad of Bush, Chris Christie, and Rubio while the Ohio governor wages a more optimistic campaign. Until now, the group’s negative spots have focused primarily on Trump.

The anti-Bush ad will replace one contrasting Kasich’s record as governor with the fiscal problems in New Jersey Governor Chris Christie’s state, the person said. It begins with gray footage of a dirt-drenched man, slouching in a field and wearing a “Jeb!” campaign button. “Jeb Bush once stood tall,” booms the narrator. “Before his campaign sank like a rock and he started desperately slinging mud on fellow Republicans. That’s not presidential, Jeb.”

As the music brightens and color returns, the commercial shifts to Kasich’s record, touting his cuts to Ohio taxes and state spending, along with his other economic accomplishments in the swing state. “That’s conservative,” the spot concludes, “and that’s presidential.”

Right to Rise showed Thursday it was simultaneously planning its own line of attack, putting out an ad targeting Kasich. “Where do you line up with John Kasich on the issues?” begins the spot, titled “Quiz.” The ad calls out the Ohio governor for expanding Medicaid, closing an Air Force base, and voting for “massive defense cuts.” It also questions Kasich’s fiscal responsibility as governor, one of the backbones of his presidential bid.

The Right to Rise ad went up on television in New Hampshire markets Thursday, Paul Lindsay, a spokesman for the super-PAC, said. “John Kasich, wrong on New Hampshire issues,” the ad concludes.

MICHAEL BENDER CONTRIBUTED TO THIS ARTICLE.

Read the original story at Bloomberg Politics.

The Ohio governor is staffing up ahead of an expected run for the White House.

With more than a dozen Republican presidential hopefuls in the 2016 field, the supply of experienced and talented campaign operatives is going to be spread thin.

Looking for a pollster, a finance director, an opposition researcher honcho, or an admaker who can dramatically increase your chances of winning the nomination? Well, the competition to sign top talent is already fierce. Add into the mix that every campaign is trying to staff its main super-PAC with a parallel array of strategists in all of the same roles, and it is clear just how intense the battle is for top shelf players.

In the media strategist category, Ohio Governor John Kasich has snagged a big prize.

According to two people close to Kasich, his super-PAC, New Day for America, has hired Fred Davis to do its media work and strategy.

Davis has toiled on five presidential campaigns, including for John McCain and George W. Bush, and has won numerous statewide races throughout the country. He is also known for a series of TV ads and web videos (McCain’s anti-Obama “e;Celeb” spot featuring Paris Hilton and Britney Spears; Christine O’Donnell’s “I’m not a witch” ad; Carly Fiorina’s “Demon Sheep” video) that have garnered a lot of attention.

Kasich recently signed pollster Linda DiVall and has been in talks with John Weaver, two other presidential campaign veterans. Weaver is close to joining the campaign as a chief strategist.

Davis and Weaver have worked together on many campaigns, including the successful election and re-election of Michigan Governor Rick Snyder. The pair had helped lay the groundwork for an anticipated presidential run by Snyder. When he unexpectedly decided to not make the race s‎everal weeks ago, Davis and Weaver were left without a candidate for 2016. Their work for Snyder caught the eye of Team Kasich, who found it appealing.

While Davis is slated to be on the super-PAC side of things, Kasich’s senior advisers are still sorting out who else should be placed at the PAC and who should work for the campaign. Team Kasich has been holding a series of meetings in Columbus over the last few months, with another slated for this coming weekend, featuring several of Kasich’s Ohio advisers as well as others with national experience. Former New Hampshire Senator c has been a regular participant and is expected to play a major role in Kasich’s campaign.

Kasich has yet to say when he will formally announce his plans on whether to make a White House run. Although his late start and low name recognition leaves him in a bit of a hole, his growing team and record in Ohio have some Republican Party veterans touting him as an instant first-tier candidate.