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Image: Raphael Warnock
Sen. Raphael Warnock walks out of the Senate Chambers during a series of votes in the U.S. Capitol Building on May 11, 2022.Anna Moneymaker / Getty Images file

Five eye-catching midterm ads from this week

New developments on abortion and semiconductors, as well as the GOP's general election shift prompt new campaign ads.

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With only a few primaries left, most campaigns have begun pivoting to the general election — highlighting key issues or shifts in tone that they hope will resonate with the broader electorate.

Here are five ads from the last week that caught our eye.

Masters and Vance lean on family

Two Republican Senate hopefuls, Arizona's Blake Masters and Ohio's J.D. Vance, are leaning on their spouses as they look to pivot and re-introduce themselves to the general electorate.

In Masters' spot, his wife, Catherine, calls him someone who "loves the state so much" and would "make Arizona so proud."

And in Vance's, his wife, Usha, tells viewers about her husband's "Ohio story."

It's a clear choice to soften both candidates after two rough and hard-edged primaries, and comes as Democrats have launched character attacks on both men.

Warnock celebrates Senate deal on chips

Incumbents have to run on their records, which is why Georgia Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock is spiking the football on the recent Senate deal to boost semiconductor manufacturing.

It's a potentially potent issue for incumbents as it tackles two key issues — creating jobs and pushing back on China's dominance. But Republicans continue to hammer Warnock and Democrats on the economy and inflation too.

Luria goes on offense on abortion after Kansas

Many Democrats have been emboldened by this week's defeat of the Kansas constitutional amendment that would have allowed the state legislature to enact new abortion restrictions.

One example from this week came from Virginia's 2nd District, where Democratic Rep. Elaine Luria says her opponent, Republican state Sen. Jen Kiggans, "applauded the court decision when millions of women lost their right to choose."

The Cheneys take on Trump

With her back against the wall in her GOP primary against a Republican backed by former President Donald Trump, Wyoming GOP Rep. Liz Cheney called in the big guns: her father, the former vice president.

In her new spot, Dick Cheney blasts Trump for trying to "steal the last election," calling him a "coward" and the greatest "threat to our Republic."

Noem enlists her mother, too

And for a palate cleanser, amid the rough-and-tumble political environment, South Dakota Republican Gov. Kristi Noem, not facing much of a general election challenge, is up with a low-stakes spot featuring her mother.

"I'm texting all my friends: Our state stayed open for business, best economy in America, lowest unemployment. We've got to get the message out," her mom says, before offering out to make a Tik Tock dance or Instagram post to help her daughter's campaign.