BY OLYMPIA MEOLA

As a recent poll shows President Barack Obama leading Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney by 16 points among women in Virginia, Obama’s re-election effort today released a new women-focused TV ad here in what the campaign says is the “first in a series” of ads “that highlight President Obama’s commitment to issues important to women and their families.”

The narrator in the 30-second spot says the president — the son of a single mom and father to two daughters — “knows that women being paid 77 cents on the dollar for doing the same work as men isn’t just unfair, it hurts families.”

“So the first law he signed was the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act to help ensure that women are paid the same as men for doing the exact same work,” the narrator says, adding: “Obama knows that fairness for women means a stronger middle class for America.” 

The 30-second “First Law” ad, which Politifact recently analyzed, will air here and in Colorado, Florida, Iowa, North Carolina, Nevada and Ohio.

It’s the third TV ad that the Obama campaign has released in Virginia this week. The two released Wednesday focused on Romney and his economic record as governor of Massachusetts.

Polls have shown Romney narrowing the gender gap nationally since a debate earlier this year over women’s reproductive rights that included the ultrasound battle in this key swing state. But he continues to struggle with women in Virginia.

A Quinnipiac University poll released June 7 shows the former Massachusetts governor trailing the president by 5 percentage points in Virginia, due in part to a 16-point disadvantage among female voters. That follows a May 3 Washington Post poll, which shows an 18-point Romney deficit among women here.

By comparison, a nationwide Washington Post-ABC poll released May 22 showed Obama’s advantage with women at only 7 percentage points, highlighting the more pronounced difference in Virginia.

UPDATED: “President Obama’s economic policies of overspending and increasing debt are putting a financial burden on the next generation,” said Allie Brandenburger, a spokeswoman with the Romney campaign, in response to the new TV ad. 

“Women have suffered disproportionately in the Obama Economy, and over 400,000 women have lost their jobs since President Obama took office. Women realize Obama’s presidency hasn’t lived up to the promises of his 2008 campaign and they are looking for a leader like Mitt Romney who knows how to create jobs, balance the budget, and preserve the American dream for our children and grandchildren.”