Pawlenty, Hatch pull TV ads on 9/11

09/09/2006

But congressional spots will air on eve of Minnesota’s primary

Associated Press

The fifth anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks is prompting Minnesota’s two leading gubernatorial candidates to pull their television ads for a day.

Officials with both campaigns said Friday that they have asked stations not to air their political commercials on Monday. Candidates in other races do not plan to shift course.

Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s campaign asked the 12 stations to postpone airing his education ad for a day.

Campaign spokesman Brian McClung said all but one, a station that serves the Fargo-Moorhead area, complied.

“We felt that especially on the fifth anniversary of 9/11 we should all take that day to remember the heroes and victims of 9/11 and set aside political campaigns and ads for a day,” McClung said.

Leslie Sandberg, a spokeswoman for Democrat Mike Hatch, said the campaign also felt it was important to go dark on the anniversary.

“We can all afford to take a break on a day that is as important as 9/11,” Sandberg said.

Pawlenty and Hatch are the favorites to advance in their Tuesday primary. Pawlenty faces Minneapolis bar owner Sue Jeffers; Hatch has two challengers, state Sen. Becky Lourey and artist Ole Savior.

In the U.S. Senate race, Republican Mark Kennedy and Democrat Amy Klobuchar will pull their ads.

Three candidates in Minnesota’s hottest primary race — a contest for the 5th Congressional District Democratic nomination — will stay on the air. Spokesmen for Ember Reichgott Junge, Paul Ostrow and Mike Erlandson said they weren’t planning to pull their ads on the eve of the primary. Keith Ellison has no TV ads planned for Sept. 11, according to campaign spokesman Dave Colling.

The four are in a hard-fought primary race for the seat long held by Democratic Rep. Martin Sabo, who is retiring.

“We are going to keep our ads running because our ads are all very positive and we think it’s appropriate,” said John Wodele, a strategist with the Reichgott Junge campaign.

Peter Brickwedde, spokes-man for Erlandson, said, with “due respect to the day and the magnitude of that day,” the campaign wouldn’t pull its ads on the eve of a competitive primary.