Democrats are taking aim at Gov. Rick Scott's education record -- en Español.
On Thursday, the party released its first Spanish-language TV ad, a 30-second spot called "Recortes," or "Cuts."
It opens with an image of the Republican governor on a chalkboard.
"Our community needs a governor who fights on our side," a woman says in Spanish. "That's why it's alarming to know that Gov. Rick Scott cut more than a $1 billion from our public schools."
The ad mentions neither former Gov. Charlie Crist nor former state Sen. Nan Rich, the two Democrats running for governor. The Democratic primary is Aug. 26.
Scott's campaign was quick to label the new ad "misleading."
"Whether we're talking about jobs, debt, or education, Charlie Crist took our state to the bottom during his failed term as governor," Lt. Gov. Carlos Lopez-Cantera said in a statement. "He ran up a $3.6 billion deficit and left our schools in worse shape. Then Charlie, a man who stands for nothing but his own ambition, tried to run away to Washington instead of cleaning up the mess."
Both parties are working hard to court Hispanic voters.
The Scott campaign has already released TV and radio spots in Spanish. And earlier this week, the Republican Party of Florida debuted a Spanish-language TV ad featuring the Vilariño family, owners and operators of a restaurant in Broward County.
Democrats say their Hispanic-outreach efforts will continue.
"There’s no doubt that the Hispanic community is an important electorate," Political Director Christian Ulvert said Thursday. "As we communicate with them, what we're hearing [is that] the issues they care about... are in line with the issues that Democrats care about and are fighting for."
The party's new Spanish-language ad will be seen in Orlando, Tampa and Miami.
Spokesman Max Steele would not say how much money had been spent on the buy, or how long the spot would air.
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