Sen. Rand Paul speaks during a "Students For Rand Rally" at George Washington University November 19, 2015 in Washington, DC. | Getty Rand Paul super PAC launches ad buy ahead of Iowa, N.H.

A Rand Paul super PAC, hoping to give the struggling candidate a burst of momentum, is launching what it describes as its opening offensive ahead of the Iowa and New Hampshire nominating contests.

The group, America’s Liberty PAC, is purchasing $500,000 in radio airtime in order to boost the Kentucky senator. America’s Liberty PAC will run five separate flights of advertisements — each flight lasts about 10 days — with the first one beginning this weekend.


The first flight, the group says, will consist of two ads. One, focusing on Paul’s faith, will air on Christian-focused stations. Religious voters are expected to play an especially central role in Iowa.

Another, which highlights Paul’s plan to combat the Islamic State, will air on news, sports, country and other stations. “In the face of deadly attacks by ISIS, who will keep us safe? While politicians in both parties push liberal immigration policies that put us at risk, Paul is looking to strengthen our security,” says the ad. (While the commercial does not explicitly mention Paul’s Republican rival Marco Rubio, Paul has accused Rubio of embracing a weak-on-immigration approach that leaves the country vulnerable.)

In total, America’s Liberty PAC plans to produce 10 radio ads to air over the five flights. The group’s strategists say the radio commercials are the “first salvo” in a final march to the Iowa and New Hampshire contests. It also plans to roll out TV ads, direct mail and a digital program in the coming weeks.

Paul has been trailing in national and early state surveys. But backers argue that the libertarian approach that propelled him to national prominence will ultimately provide dividends. The senator is aggressively wooing college-age voters in Iowa and New Hampshire who flocked to his father, former Rep. Ron Paul, in the 2012 Republican primary.

