GOP duo to trot out new ads

Most Utahns probably couldn't tell you much about Nolan Karras or Jon Huntsman Jr., two Republicans running for governor this year.

But that's about to change.

With three weeks left before the June 22 primary, where one of the men will advance to face Democrat Scott Matheson Jr. in the November final election, Karras and Huntsman are planning their new media campaigns.

How much will they spend on TV and radio ads aimed at getting GOP supporters to the primary polls? What messages will we see?

So far, both Huntsman and Karras have run limited TV ads, both just trying to introduce themselves to the electorate at large. A poll for the Deseret Morning News and KSL-TV in March showed only 1 percent would have picked Karras as their candidate and just 16 percent picked Huntsman as their guy.

Huntsman, whose name is emblazoned on buildings throughout the state via the family's philanthropy, uses a more familiar face: Jazz owner and car dealer Larry H. Miller.

After Huntsman talks about his love of Utah and her people, and that the state must be taken in a different direction, Miller comes on to mimic his own car ads, saying: "I know this guy," and Utah needs him.

The ad ran for two weeks in May. Huntsman has not run any radio ads.

Karras takes a bit of a different tack in his TV ad. Karras edged out the other Greek-American-type name — Fred Lampropoulos — in the state GOP convention to finish a close second behind Huntsman.

And some voters may still be confusing Karras and Lampropoulos.

So Karras' ad paints a quick family history: his dad a volunteer firefighter; longtime resident; working-class background, and so on. Karras says his real value is in his family, and he should be measured by the "what he's done with the gifts he's received."

"His wealth is in the experiences a governor needs," the announcer says at the end of the ad, a not-so-subtle reminder of one of Karras' intraparty themes: I'm not the guy with the silver spoon in his mouth.

"This class warfare stuff doesn't play well with Republicans," said Jason Chaffetz, campaign manager for Huntsman. "It's not going to work" with GOP primary voters, he predicted.

Maybe.

But it's still one way to differentiate yourself.