Freshman Rep. Cheri Bustos, D-Ill., released a new television ad Tuesday revisiting a familiar theme in her media campaign: basketball.  

The spot features men in black suits committing flagrant fouls and double-teaming children in a basketball game. The ad concludes with Bustos, a hall-of-fame collegiate basketball player, delivering a behind-the-back pass to a young girl.  

This November, Bustos faces a rematch against former Rep. Bobby Schilling, a Republican. The race is rated Leans Democratic  by the Rothenberg Political Report/Roll Call.  

The spot will air in all three media markets in Illinois’ 17th District.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0GOI2HygaE&feature=youtu.be  

Sports metaphors and exhibitions of candidate athletic skills are nothing new in campaign ads, even with Bustos. Last cycle, she hit an over-the-shoulder shot in the final scene of her spot:  

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWWjxSZVMpU  

More recently, GOP Rep. Curt Clawson, a former Purdue Boilermaker, hit a series of three pointers in his own ad in a Florida special election earlier this year.  

www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdEgaYf_1j0  

In the 2012 cycle, Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D., hit the batting cages:  

www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVr9cirHglk  

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