ATLANTA — A new TV ad campaign took to the airwaves Wednesday, aiming to unseat one of the most powerful lawmakers in Georgia.
A coalition of tea party activists is blasting Georgia Speaker of the House David Ralston.
The ad began running on cable stations in the northern mountain counties Wednesday. It focuses on what Ralston has done or not done as a lawyer.
The ad's sponsor, the Georgia Integrity Project, is a made up of 52 tea party groups and others who are taking aim at Ralston.
"The speaker has behaved in what we belief is an unethical manner," said Debbie Dooley with the Georgia Integrity Project. Dooley is leading the campaign.
Ralston is facing Sam Snider in the May primary. Snider is not mentioned in the ad.
The group's first ad focuses on Ralston's use of legislative leave, a topic that Channel 2's Tony Thomas has reported on for months.
Legislative leave allows lawyer lawmakers to automatically excuse themselves from court cases while on state business. Critics say Ralston abused the power.
The Ralston campaign has its own ad running, focusing on the things one of the state's most powerful men has been able to bring home.
"Some pundits are saying this is a long shot for you guys. We know it's a long shot but we feel like the voters of the district need to be educated," Dooley said.
"It's a little bit of a curve ball, because I think it's because the original message just wasn't resonating," said Peach Pundit Charlie Harper.
When Thomas asked the Ralston campaign for reaction to the new ad, he received an email saying, "This is an effort by a small group of disaffected radicals and special interests from Atlanta, not north Georgia. Their smear tactics are falling on deaf ears in Fannin, Gilmer and Dawson counties. The people here know Ralston¹s character and know his commitment to their conservative values."
WSBTV
