A US senator running for state governor has shared a kiss with his husband in an advert for his candidacy, telling viewers it will “piss off” Donald Trump and the Republican party.
Accompanied by their two children, Rich Madaleno, a Democrat running in Maryland, is seen kissing Mark Hodge at the end of the 30-second advert – before saying “take that, Trump”.
I’m running to deliver progressive results and stand up to @realDonaldTrump. Check out our new ad and then help us send our #TakeThatTrump message by contributing right now – https://t.co/d9fcvlegi8 pic.twitter.com/GkgJVU8wm2
— Rich Madaleno (@RichMadaleno) June 7, 2018
The advert is running on local news outlets in the area but also on Fox & Friends on Fox News in Washington DC, a show the US president is famed for watching.
“The refrain is ‘take that, Trump’ – so we wanted to make sure the president had an opportunity to see this ad, and went with the network he tunes into,” Madaleno’s campaign manager Keith Presley told USA Today.
According to the US news outlet Madaleno has been married to his husband for 16 years and would be Maryland’s first openly gay governor.
Best. Ad. Ever.
— Bryce Tache ?? (@brycetache) June 7, 2018
I’m so conditioned to be against this that I cringed slightly… and I’m an openly gay man!
That’s why this is so important in the legacy of normalizing who we are.
Well done sir! #PrideMonth
— Richard (@xSushi) June 8, 2018
While I’m for breaking barriers & proudly exhibiting your values and stances, to me this whole ad just seems childish & not representative of someone I’d want to see in a public sector leadership role. Give a serious message if you’re serious about running for governor.
— ⓂⒶⓃⒶⓍ™ (@DrManax) June 7, 2018
“June is LGBT Pride Month and I couldn’t think of a better time to release this ad,” Madaleno said in a statement. “I am proud of my family, proud of my record of standing up for our progressive values and proud to be unflinching in standing up against hate.
“Love truly does trump hate.”
