A Louisiana Democratic candidate for Congress went viral after she filmed a campaign advert which featured her giving birth.
Katie Darling gave birth to a baby boy last month and featured the event in the powerful advert in which she attacked the state’s new abortion ban.
Ms Darling, the former chief executive of a rum company, has never run for elected office before and is trying to defeat Republican lawmaker Steve Scalise in the 1st Congressional District.
The advert features the 36-year-old and her family on their farm surrounded by chickens and geese.
It then shows her on her way to a hospital where she delivers her son Ollie with husband John Huntington in the room and ends with the newborn on her chest.
Louisiana ranks 50th in crime, 48th in education, and 46th in health care. I’m running for Congress to stop this race to the bottom because our children deserve better. pic.twitter.com/OfFQHuPTzU
— Katie Darling for Louisiana (@katie4louisiana) October 3, 2022
“These days I worry about storms that are stronger and more frequent because of climate change, about our kids’ underperforming public schools and about Louisiana’s new abortion ban, one of the strictest and most severe in the country,” she says in it.
“We should be putting pregnant women at ease, not putting their lives at risk.”
Since being posted on Twitter the advert has had more than one million views.
“I think there are a lot of folks who connect with having a family and dealing with the challenges we face in Louisiana – climate change, education and a severe abortion ban,” Ms Darling told USA Today. “That’s why the ad is resonating with so many people.”
She said that her campaign was hopeful that the powerful advert would have an impact.
“We were counting on it. We knew it would take a special message so we were thoughtful and mindful of the content and its importance,” she added.
Mr Scalise, the Republican Whip in the House, remains a strong favourite to retain his seat and has a huge fundraising advantage.
