Bashaw launches a new TV commercial that highlights his independent streak

Republican Curtis Bashaw is on the air with a new broadcast and cable TV ad in which he touts his independent streak, his business credentials as a job creator and his non-traditional GOP bid as a “pro-choice married gay man” as he seeks a surprise in the race for New Jersey's U.S. Senate seat.

In “Think,” Bashaw recounts his own ad in which he promises to support lower taxes, secure the border and support a woman’s right to an abortion. He also uses the 30-second ad to contrast himself with his Democratic opponent, Rep. Andy Kim (D-Moorestown), saying Kim voted with House Democrats 99% of the time.

“In New Jersey, we think for ourselves. Our senator should do the same,” Bashaw said.

The Bashaw campaign said it is spending six figures on ad purchases.

Script: “I'm Curtis Bashaw, the underdog running for Senate. I built my hotel business in New Jersey to over a thousand jobs. I support tax cuts and securing the border. But I'm not a typical Republican. I am a pro-choice married gay man. Andy Kim votes 99% for the DC Democrats. I will break with both parties to serve our state. In New Jersey we think for ourselves. Our senator should too. I’m Curtis Bashaw and I agree with this message.”

Bashaw, a Cape May hotelier and first-time candidate, is trying to break the second-longest Republican losing streak in the country: The GOP hasn't won a U.S. Senate seat in New Jersey since 1972, with only Hawaii lasting longer.

But five of the last 11 men elected to the U.S. Senate in New Jersey had never held public office before. If he wins, Bashaw would be the first openly gay man to serve in the U.S. Senate.

Katey Sabo, Kim's spokesperson, accused Bashaw of “exactly the kind of Republican politician New Jersey voters simply can’t trust.”

“He is in lockstep with Donald Trump, supports the Dobbs decision that strips women of their reproductive freedoms, and would ensure a divisive extremist Republican majority in the Senate,” she said. “He can spend his vast fortune trying to deceive voters, but they will see through it and reject him on election day.”