Colorado Politics

WATCH: Democrat Phil Weiser launches statewide TV, digital ad campaign in Colorado AG’s race

Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser and his mobile whiteboard are back.

The prop figures prominently in the first TV ad released Thursday by the Democrat’s reelection campaign, which juxtaposes footage from an ad Weiser ran four years ago to illustrate what Weiser’s campaign calls his “follow-through” during his first term on campaign promises.

The 30-second spot goes up immediately on digital platforms, his campaign said, and then starts airing statewide Monday on broadcast and cable TV, kicking off the $2.2 million in ad reservations his campaign announced earlier this summer.

Weiser is facing a challenge from Republican John Kellner, the district attorney for the 18th Judicial District, who has yet to reserve fall airtime.

“I wanted your voice to be heard on protecting our rights – everything from civil and women’s rights, to crime victim rights,” says Weiser over clips from the old ad that depict him wheeling a whiteboard around city streets and lakeside in the mountains, all while jotting down suggestions.

“Today, I want you to know what we’ve gotten done,” he says as new footage appears. “We took on all these corporations that were ripping off Coloradans. We’ve protected our water rights, immigrant rights, voting rights, workers’ rights, privacy and equal rights – our rights to affordable health care and abortion. We’ve been busy. Defended gun safety laws, improved police training.”

In a written statement, Weiser details the points he makes in the ad.

“Over the last four years, I’ve worked hard to defend Coloradans’ rights as the people’s lawyer,” he said. “We brought back $500 million to Colorado to fight the opioid crisis; we recovered $230 million for Coloradans cheated by irresponsible companies; we secured critical funds to support police and sheriffs; we pushed for and defended responsible gun safety laws; and, we protected access to legal and safe abortion care. As attorney general, I am committed to protecting and defending all Coloradans, and I’m running for a second term because we have more important work to do.”

A Kellner campaign spokeswoman told Colorado Politics that Weiser’s ad is notable for what it doesn’t include.

“The question every Coloradan should ask is, ‘Are you better off today than you were four years ago?’ The answer is absolutely NO,” Holly Horn, Kellner’s campaign manager, said in an email. “Crime is skyrocketing – fentanyl is killing our youth, murder is up, property crime is up and Colorado ranks No. 1 in the nation in both auto theft and bank robberies. Phil Weiser can produce all of the slick ads he wants but as the chief law enforcement official in the state he is an abject failure.”

Like the original ad, Weiser’s new commercial was produced by renowned Democratic political ad maker Mark Putnam of Washington, D.C.-based Putnam Partners.

Ballots start going out to most Colorado voters in just over three weeks and are due back to county clerks by Nov. 8.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to include a comment from Republican John Kellner’s campaign.

Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser, kneeling, writes on a whiteboard in the first TV ad released by the Democrat’s reelection campaign on Thursday, Sept. 22, 2022. Weiser is facing a challenge from Republican John Kellner, the attorney for the 18th Judicial District.
(via YouTube)
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