Last week, Democratic candidate Dan Maffei released the first television commercial in the highly contested 24th Congressional district. Now, the second ad for that race has come out, and it takes a decidedly different tone.
In the first negative campaign ad for this area, the National Republican Congressional Committee has released a TV commercial that doesn't mention their candidate, incumbent Representative Ann Marie Buerkle. Instead it focuses on her opponent, Dan Maffei who served in Congress for one term before the Republican Buerkle defeated him in 2010.
The commercial shows a piece of paper folding and unfolding itself, while an announcer intones, "The last time Dan Maffei represented us, Washington asked him to add $789 billion to the national debt limit. What did Maffei do? He folded. Maffei voted the straight party line 96 percent of the time."
According to the non-partisan group Open Congress, Buerkle voted with the Republican Party 95 percent of the time.
The race for the 24th Congressional district, which includes Syracuse and Oswego, is one of the closest races in the country. Green party candidate Ursula Rozum is also running.