Mike Lee rolls out first TV ad in GOP Senate primary race

SALT LAKE CITY — The first television commercial for Utah's GOP Senate primary — Mike Lee's "Fighting to Save Our County" spot — was unveiled Wednesday.

The 30-second ad begins with photos of two Democrats, President Barack Obama and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, and has Lee warning, "Our country's in trouble, and I want to save it."

Lee is described as the candidate who can "stop the Obama liberal agenda" because he "is a true conservative and constitutional expert with deep Utah roots and profound respect for American values."

He is shown playing football with his family and speaks to the camera to describe his commitment to stop government bailouts and wasteful spending, "preserve our values" and repeal federal health care reform.

The commercial was scheduled to air over the next week, beginning Wednesday evening, on network affiliates KSL, KUTV and KTVX, as well as on the Fox News cable network in Utah, according to Lee's campaign manager, Jonathan Reid.

"It's the quickest way to get the word out to our voter base," Reid said, calling the ad consistent with Lee's campaign. "His is not a message of doom and gloom; it's a message of opportunity and prosperity, if we can get the federal government out of the way."

Lee's opponent in the June 22 primary, Tim Bridgewater, has yet to buy advertising on television. Both have aired radio ads since advancing from the GOP state convention last month after defeating Sen. Bob Bennett.

"Campaigning now involves all sorts of mediums, including mail, radio, TV and social media," Bridgewater spokeswoman Tiffany Gunnerson said. "From the first day of our campaign, we have planned on using all available mediums to introduce voters to Tim. Our goal is to reach as many voters as possible to spread Tim's message of states' rights and fiscal conservatism."

The Democratic candidate for Senate, Sam Granato, beat his opposition at that party's convention and won't be on the ballot until November.

"We are not going to spend money on ads for the primary, but we definitely will be doing TV ads," said Granato's campaign manager, Marla Kennedy.

Bennett, who faced anti-incumbent sentiment, started running television ads a year ago, touting the endorsement of Mitt Romney, the former Salt Lake Olympic leader and presidential candidate considered a "favorite son" in Utah.

Before the May 8 state GOP convention, though, The Club for Growth, a national conservative group, spent nearly $200,000 on television ads and other efforts to oppose Bennett.

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