4 mayor hopefuls open wallets

Recent reports show that Buhler has about $58,000 in cash on hand, the smallest amount among the four main candidates. He'll be running new radio advertisements with former GOP Govs. Olene Walker and Norm Bangerter and will start running his TV ads on broadcast stations a week before the primary election, he said.

Christensen, a former city council member and political independent, shows the largest advertising buy in August. He has been the best fund-raiser in the race. "People did not give to my campaign to see me with a big pot of money on Sept. 12," he said Friday. "They gave to me because they want me to spend it and win" the primary.

All four candidates have TV spots — some mainly on the cheaper cable channels.

Christensen is running so many of his TV spots on regular channels, it seems one can't go an hour without seeing his bicycle-with-me advertisement. "My radio ad with (former Salt Lake mayor) Jake Garn and with Rocky is being very well received," said Christensen. He added he may not do another radio spot.

Wilson said short commutes make radio advertising problematic. "You don't have a lot of time" on drive-time radio to get heard, she said.

Christensen has also been plastering residential mail boxes with print ads, one which reprints the whole Salt Lake Tribune editorial endorsement of the former city councilman. (The Deseret Morning News does not endorse political candidates.)

While there are nine candidates for mayor, only four have raised significant amounts of cash, and only those four show any meaningful support in public opinion polls.

Both Wilson and Buhler bought public opinion polls over the last month, their reports show. And both said those, coupled with other campaign operations, tell them that it will be a Wilson/Buhler final election.

"But you never take anything for granted," said Wilson. "We think only 30,000 people will vote in the primary, about one in three of all registered voters in the city. We all (have to go at campaigning) hard until the primary."

The video advertisements being aired by the four vary in length and content. Their ads, issue statements and other information can be viewed on their Web sites: Christensen's www.keithformayor.com; www.votejennywilson.com; www.ralphbecker.com; and Buhler's www.daveformayor.org.

Perhaps taking a clue from the in-your-face, humorous ads that Sen. Bob Bennett, R-Utah, ran in his successful 1992 campaign, Buhler has a unique Web site and advertisements.

Mimicking the video presentation found in the film "Jurassic Park," Buhler walks onto the computer screen joking and telling people to visit his other video presentations. All of his short, quirky videos/advertisements are located on that site, as well.

Wilson takes a more traditional approach in her main TV ad, with short snippet statements on various issues.

Becker's TV ad moves from endorsements to issues. And on his Web site, one can see a longer version that says Becker is "Blueprint Man," a kind of Superman with a plan.

Christensen is shown riding a street bicycle, in complete bicycling garb, with others joining him as he rides through Salt Lake City. It ends with a suit-clothed Christensen asking you to join his ride for the mayorship.

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E-mail: bbjr@desnews.com; lee@desnews.com