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Hillary Clinton released the first two ads of her presidential campaign Sunday night.
The spots, which will debut Tuesday in Iowa, the first caucus state, and New Hampshire, the first primary state, are both the kind of biographical spots candidates with less universal name recognition use to introduce themselves to voters on a high note. Clinton has a commanding lead in the Democratic primary, but is hampered by the majority of the American public viewing her as not honest or trustworthy. She's also struggled with the perception that her vast personal wealth has left her out of touch with many Americans. The spots are something of a reintroduction of the candidate.
The first ad, "Dorothy," focuses on Clinton's late mother, Dorothy Rodham, a figure through whom she has sought to portray herself as a champion of underdogs. In it, Clinton tells of her mother's childhood abandonment, her reliance on the kindness of strangers, and the values she instilled in her family.
"That's why I'm doing this. That's why I've always done this. For all the Dorothys," Clinton says to the camera.
You can watch it here:
The second ad builds on the first, transitioning from Dorothy Rodham's hardscrabble upbringing to her daughter's work on behalf of children and families in a series of jobs. The theme is that Clinton has served others throughout her public life, having chosen work at the Children's Defense Fund over a lucrative job at a big law firm. Of course, Clinton, who released tax returns Friday showing that she and her husband made $141 million over the past eight years, has not suffered financially.
Toward the end of the ad, a narrator refers to her as "the secretary of state who joined the Cabinet of the man who defeated her, because when your president calls, you serve."
You can watch the second ad, "Family Strong," here:
"We’re going to make sure everyone knows who Hillary Clinton really is — who she fights for and what has motivated her lifelong commitment to children and families," Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook said in a statement. "Since Day One, we’ve planned for a competitive primary with Hillary herself working to earn every vote and, ultimately, the nomination. This is the natural next step."
Clinton will run the ads for five weeks, at a cost of roughly $1 million per state, according to the campaign, which said the spots will be supplemented by digital advertising.
