Bob Chew, the Forward Party nominee for U.S. Senate in Colorado, sends household objects flying in a TV ad set to run statewide through September, backed by $1.3 million in ad reservations across multiple platforms, his campaign told Colorado Politics.

Meant to demonstrate the 67-year-old Navy veteran’s frustration with both major political parties, the 30-second spot depicts Chew reacting to a series of headlines about the cost of living by hurling a lamp, a table and a tall vase of red roses across the room.

“Like you, I’m really ticked off with the career politicians in Washington,” Chew says before tossing the lamp.

After seeing headlines about the rising costs of medication, housing and ground beef — “up 13%!” he exclaims — Chew tosses more items, introduces himself and says, “I’m running out of patience — and furniture. That’s why I’m running for U.S. Senate as an independent.”

Chew’s campaign is spending about $650,000 to run the ad on broadcast and cable stations in the Denver and Colorado Springs markets and an equal amount statewide on digital and streaming services, a spokesman said.

The first-time candidate, who left the Republican Party last summer to join the tiny Forward Party, is hoping to deny Democratic U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper’s bid for a second term, as is state Sen. Mark Baisley, R-Woodland Park, the GOP nominee.

The party, founded by former Democratic presidential hopeful Andrew Yang after his unsuccessful 2020 run, qualified to become one of Colorado’s eight minor political parties in 2024. With that status, it gained the ability to nominate candidates directly to the general election ballot.

Chew told Colorado Politics last month that he plans to spend at least $2 million to give voters “a real choice beyond the two-party status quo.”

That’s about as much money as the incumbent, a former two-term governor, reported having on hand at the end of June and nearly 40 times as much as Baisley’s campaign had in the bank.

Colorado, which is celebrating its 150th birthday this month, has never elected an independent candidate to the U.S. Senate. Election forecasters rate Hickenlooper’s seat as a safe hold for Democrats in this year’s midterms, as Republicans seek to keep their slim majority in the chamber.

Chew told Colorado Politics that he’s trying to get in front of enough voters who share his dissatisfaction with what he called “a broken status quo.”

“Colorado deserves a senator who answers to voters, not party leaders, lobbyists or Washington insiders,” he said in a statement. “This ad speaks to the frustration hardworking Coloradans feel about a government that no longer works for them.”

Added Chew: “I’m running to give Colorado something different: real courage, real solutions and a senator who will tell the truth about the hard choices facing our country.”

A spokesman for Hickenlooper’s campaign said Chew’s history of making large campaign contributions to Republicans is at odds with his new message.

“If Bob Chew was actually ticked off enough to throw furniture around his house, he wouldn’t have given hundreds of thousands of dollars to career politicians — like Susan Collins — who’ve done nothing to stop Trump from pouring fuel on his cost-of-living emergency and attacking our democracy,” Hickenlooper spokesman Jess Cohen said in a statement.

“As Chew and Baisley duke it out to see who would be a better rubber-stamp for Washington Republicans, John is fighting to end Trump’s unwanted war in Iran, actually lower prices, and stop ICE from terrorizing our communities,” he added.

Baisley told Colorado Politics that whatever frustrations are motivating Chew, running on a third-party ticket isn’t the way to “contribute positively to the outcome.”

“Colorado’s caucus (and) assembly system facilitates a process of elimination that works very well with a two-party system,” said Baisley, who went through the GOP’s state assembly and was the only Republican to qualify for the primary. “Our concern is that minor party candidates seem to only serve as the spoiler, frustrating the will of the majority by splitting their votes. We invite Mr. Chew to make his offer to serve through the Republican Party process, where he could actually make a difference.”

Ballots start going out to most Colorado voters on Oct. 2 and are due back to county clerks by 7 p.m. Nov. 3.