Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton takes a "selfie" photo with an attendee following a discussion on June 15. | Getty Clinton to air TV ads in Arizona

Hours after Donald Trump delivered a hard-line immigration speech in Phoenix, Hillary Clinton’s campaign is going on the air with a television ad buy in Arizona, said a senior campaign official.

The move — intended to project confidence and mount an offensive in a state that’s voted Republican in 15 of the last 16 presidential elections — is an aggressive one that could put Trump further on his heels in Arizona. Recent polls of the state have shown a tight race, and a Democratic victory there would rely largely on Latino voters who have a dim view of the Republican nominee.


The initial ad buy will be six figures, though the campaign provided no more details about the size and market, suggesting it could be a limited buy to begin.

The campaign will be running its "Role Models” spot, which features small children appearing to watch some of Trump’s more incendiary remarks on television.

While Democrats have in recent years argued that Arizona, like Georgia, would be a prime target for them before long thanks to its demographic shifts, an actual television investment there from a presidential candidate is a rare move. Clinton’s team had already been working with the local state party on its ground game, which had been built up for the purposes of the state’s competitive Senate race.

And the Brooklyn-based team has also been eager to stretch Trump's resources thin by nudging him into campaigning and investing in defensive states he's still likely to win, like Arizona, Georgia and Utah.

After pulling its advertising in Colorado and Virginia — figuring those states are safe — the Clinton operation is still advertising in Florida, Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio and Pennsylvania.

