Republican U.S. Senate candidate Wil Cardon has released another TV ad in which he paints himself as a conservative outsider.
“Washington is filled with career politicians who have never created a single job,” Cardon says in the ad. “Leading an Arizona business, I have created hundreds of jobs. Government and politicians don’t create jobs. They create debt and waste our money. I am the conservative outsider.”
This is the fourth TV ad released by Cardon, who is trying to defeat U.S. Jeff Flake in the Republican primary. Cardon had spent more than $800,000 on getting his message out through media outlets from August through March, show Federal Election Commission reports.
Though he doesn’t mention Flake by name in the ad, this is the latest in the back-and-forth between the two combatants for the Republican nomination.
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Last week, Flake released a web video questioning who’s really funding his primary opponent Wil Cardon’s campaign, and if it’s legal. That came on the heels of the first in a series of a "fact check” press releases about Cardon's comments.
"Opposing earmarks and pork spending? Sounds like he’s trying to be Jeff Flake," said Flake's spokesman, Andrew Wilder, in an email. "Jeff Flake is a proven conservative outsider and the only candidate in this race that has actually led the fight against wasteful spending and bigger government, even when it meant having the courage to take on some in his own party."
Polls show Flake is the front-runner in the race to become Arizona's first new U.S. senator in nearly two decades.
A poll from Magellan Strategies showed Flake with a 44-40 percent lead on Richard Carmona, the presumptive Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate. The poll is based on an automated survey of 909 likely general election voters done earlier this month. Cardon had a 41-40 lead on Carmona.
The poll did not ask voters to choose between Flake and Cardon.
Flake also leads the three candidates in fund-raising. The six-term U.S. Congressman raised $935,000 in the first quarter of 2012, giving him more than $3 million cash on hand.
Carmona raised $789,600, in the first quarter of 2012, giving him nearly $1.1 million cash on hand.
Cardon has put $4.2 million of his own money into the campaign. He has raised $706,725 from outside sources since launching his campaign in August.
He has also spent more than his opponents, too. Cardon expended more than $1 million through March. Flake spent $400,214 in the quarter and Carmona spent $263,801.
Stay tuned to the Pueblo Politics blog throughout 2012 for news, updates and information about Arizona politics. You can follow Arizona Daily Star reporter Brady McCombs by clicking on his name.
