Democrats launch Lunar New Year ad blitz to counter Trump gains
Democrats are rolling out a Lunar New Year–themed ad blitz aimed at winning back Asian American voters in competitive districts as they try to blunt Trump’s gains with this community.
– The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) will release a three-ad, four-figure social media campaign (Instagram and Facebook) in 18 competitive districts, launching around Lunar New Year this week (Feb. 13, 2026). The ads are drawn in a cartoon style.
– The messages focus on two policy areas: tariffs and immigration. two ads target Trump over tariffs and rising costs, while a third centers on immigration and ICE enforcement’s impact on families.
– The campaign targets a mix of GOP-held seats and several Democratic-held seats, including districts deemed toss-ups by Cook Political Report.
– DCCC officials, including Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific islander engagement director Sarah Lin, emphasize the goal of countering tariff costs and immigration policies that affect Asian American and Pacific Islander communities.
– This effort is part of a broader Democratic push to win back minority and rural voters after 2024, when Asian Americans leaned toward Biden but by a narrower margin than in 2020.Recent data cited include increases in asian American disapproval of Trump’s immigration handling (AP-NORC/others) and higher ICE arrest figures for Asians (UCLA study).
– The ad buy targets several districts, such as those represented by Republicans including Nick Begich (AK), Adam Gray (CA), David Valadao (CA), Darrell Issa (CA), John James (MI), Tom Kean Jr.(NJ), Mike Lawler (NY), Brian Fitzpatrick (PA), jen Kiggans (VA), and more, with some seats rated as toss-ups.
– Democrats hope to leverage concerns over immigration and affordability to win back voters of colour in these districts ahead of the 2026 midterms.
Democrats launch Lunar New Year ad blitz to counter Trump inroads with Asian Americans
EXCLUSIVE — The House Democrats‘ campaign arm is launching a Lunar New Year ad in competitive districts beginning Friday, as the party looks to regain support from Asian Americans, a significant voting bloc that trended toward President Donald Trump in 2024.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee will release a four-figure ad campaign to run on Instagram and Facebook beginning this week in 18 competitive districts. The ads center on Lunar New Year, which is on Tuesday.
The campaign consists of three ads, two blasting Trump on tariffs and one on immigration — two major policy issues expected to influence the 2026 midterm elections. All three ads, shared first with the Washington Examiner, are drawn cartoon-style.
One of the tariff ads features adults giving a child money for Lunar New Year, and one says, “Trump’s tariffs really f*** up my budget this year.” When the child is given three $1 bills, the child asks, “What’s a tariff?”
The second tariff ad shows a mother and daughter shopping with the mother explaining they cannot afford “dumplings and rice cakes” because “bills were too expensive this week.” The tagline on the ad reads, “This new year, we deserve better than Trump tariffs and skyrocketing prices.”
“Thanks to House Republicans, this year’s Lunar New Year celebrations are marked by financial stress for hard-working AAPI families,” said Sarah Lin, the DCCC Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander national engagement director.
“AAPI communities across the country deserve much better than reckless tariffs, skyrocketing prices, and GOP-backed policies that make it harder for families to thrive.”
The final ad, centered on immigration, depicts a family of two at a dinner table for eight. One adult reads a paper about raids conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, while another adult watches TV with a newscast titled “300 Asians detained by ICE.” The tagline reads, “Family reunions don’t look the same this year.”
UCLA’s Asian American Studies Center found that ICE arrests of Asians tripled from 2024 to 2025. An Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research survey taken in October 2025 found that more Asian American adults disapprove of Trump’s handling of immigration now than six months prior, moving from 58% to 71%.
Friday’s ad campaign launch is one of several by the DCCC over the last few months. This ad buy targets GOP seats held by Reps. Nick Begich (R-AK), Adam Gray (R-CA), David Valadao (R-CA), Darrell Issa (R-CA), John James (R-MI), Tom Kean Jr. (R-NJ), Mike Lawler (R-NY), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), and Jen Kiggans (R-VA).
It will also run in Democratic-held districts represented by Reps. Dave Min (D-CA), Nellie Pou (D-NJ), Dina Titus (D-NV), Susie Lee (D-NV), Steven Horsford (D-NV), Tom Suozzi (D-NY), Laura Gillen (D-NY), and Eugene Vindman (D-VA).
Of the 18 seats receiving the ad buy, four are rated “toss up” by the nonpartisan Cook Political Report.
Democrats are hoping to capitalize on immigration and affordability to get voters of color back into their fold after suffering major defections in 2024.
Asian voters, for example, favored Democratic nominee Kamala Harris over Trump in 2024, 57% to 40%, according to the Pew Research Center. The 17-point margin, however, was significantly narrower than the 70% to 30% margin Democrat Joe Biden beat Trump by in 2020.
DEMOCRATS LOOK TO REVERSE GOP GAINS WITH MINORITY AND RURAL VOTERS IN EIGHT-FIGURE BUY
In 2024, Trump received 43% of Hispanic support, up from 35% in the 2020 election against Biden. But surveys from late 2025 found about two-thirds of Hispanic adults overall disapproved of the president’s approach to immigration, while 61% said his economic policies have made conditions worse, according to the poll.
The Washington Examiner reached out to the House Republicans’ campaign arm for comment.
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