Johnson releases TV ad
Republican gubernatorial candidate Jeff Johnson has launched the first television ad of his general election campaign.
It's a humorous spot that plays on Johnson's perfectionist personality, double checking his son's lawn mowing job and quizzing his dog about an eaten football.
In the ad Johnson says he plans to audit every state program. He also goes after Gov. Mark Dayton for supporting a new Senate office building, among other things.
Johnson's campaign hasn't said how much it will spend to run the ad statewide, but calls the buy substantial.
Create a More Connected Minnesota
MPR News is your trusted resource for the news you need. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone - free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.
Johnson has reserved $380,000 in airtime on cable and broadcast television, according to a campaign spokesman. The ad is scheduled to run through early October, according to documents filed with the government.
Finance reports released yesterday show that as of mid-September, Johnson had more than $866,000 to spend between now and Election Day while Dayton had double that.
UPDATE: Dayton's campaign spokesman Jeremy Drucker said that and "audit Commissioner Johnson's record, [shows] he's consistently voted for budget gimmicks and shifts, including nearly $500 million in taxes disguised as 'fees' and $1 billion in school payment shifts that sent I.O.Us to our school districts."
Here's Johnson's ad: