Democratic Rep. Josh Gottheimer argues in his first TV ad of the New Jersey governor’s race that he is ready to fight President Donald Trump — and he’s using artificial intelligence to make his case.
Gottheimer, who is in his fifth term, portrays himself as a boxer in the ad, shared first with NBC News, which uses AI to show him sparring with Trump in a boxing ring. The spot appears to be one of the first TV ads in a major race to lean significantly on AI.
“He’s a born fighter. Josh Gottheimer’s been fighting for people all his life,” a narrator says as images of a young Gottheimer wearing boxing gloves play on screen and as a disclaimer reads, “AI Generated Imagery.”
The ad goes on to tout Gottheimer’s work for Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama on protecting Medicare and Social Security, as well as his efforts to pass infrastructure and gun safety legislation in Congress.
Over images of Gottheimer and Trump sparring in a boxing ring, their gloves colliding, the narrator says Gottheimer is “fighting for Jersey to stop Donald Trump’s tariffs and chaos. Now he’s ready for the big one.”
“As governor, I’ll cut property taxes by 15%, cut taxes for seniors and lower costs,” Gottheimer says into the camera. “It’s not impossible. I’ll fight to get it done and always get your back.”
The ad is backed by a multimillion-dollar buy, according to Gottheimer’s campaign.
“As governor, I’ll battle Trump when he messes with Jersey families and fight to get taxes and costs down,” Gottheimer said in a statement to NBC News. “I’m not afraid to get in the ring and go as many rounds as needed until we win.”
Gottheimer’s hitting the airwaves is the latest sign that the crowded Democratic field is heating up ahead of the June 10 contest to succeed term-limited Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy. The top candidates include Gottheimer, Rep. Mikie Sherrill, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop, former state Sen. Steve Sweeney and Sean Spiller, the head of the state teachers union.
More than $36 million has already been spent on ads in the race, according to the ad-tracking firm AdImpact, with the pro-Gottheimer super PAC Affordable New Jersey accounting for a third of the spending.
The New Jersey contest is one of two governor’s races this year, along with Virginia’s, and both are expected to be competitive. Trump made significant gains in New Jersey in November but lost the state by 6 points.
