[Ads-l] "border state"

[James Landau]

(My apologies if I sound political)
In my experience "border state" has meant a US state (like my native Kentuicky) which is part Sourthern and part Northern (e.g. Kentucky declared itself neutral in the Civil War).
However, tonight I saw a TV commercial for Harris that started out "As a border-state prosecutor, she..." followed by complimentary words about what she did re Mexican border issues.
Has anyone else run across this meaning?  Is it original with this TV ad?
James Landau
jjjrlandau at netscape.com

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org