Realtors running TV ads pushing Newman in CD2

The National Association of Realtors Political Action Committee began running television ads in the Albuquerque and El Paso markets on Tuesday promoting the candidacy of 2nd Congressional District hopeful Monty Newman.

The group is spending just under $200,000 to air the 30-second spot on all four networks in the Albuquerque market. I don’t have information on the size of the buy in the El Paso market. The committee hasn’t yet filed notice with the Federal Election Commission of the TV-ad expenditure.

The ad calls Newman an experienced and conservative leader who supports lower taxes and limited government. As I’ve already reported, the group is also spending nearly $250,000 on mailers and research in its quest to send Newman to Congress. Newman is a real-estate agent and was vice president of the association in 2005 and 2007.

Not counting the El Paso TV buy, the group is spending nearly $450,000 to help Newman. That’s enough to change the dynamic of a wide-open Republican primary in the 2nd District, and it gives a huge boost to a candidate who failed to secure the support of 20 percent of delegates at the party’s preprimary nominating convention in March. Because he only garnered the support of 18.5 percent of delegates, Newman had to gather additional signatures to qualify for the ballot.

No candidate in that position has won a primary race in New Mexico.

The Realtors group is intervening in the race through the FEC’s independent expenditure rule, which allows a PAC to spend an unlimited amount of money to advocate for the election or defeat of a candidate. The PAC and Newman can’t cooperate or consult on how the PAC spends its money, and its mailers and ads must make clear that they’re paid for and approved by the PAC, not Newman.

Update, 11:20 a.m.

Newman primary opponent Ed Tinsley’s campaign put out a news release this morning attacking Newman for having a “liberal tax-and-spend record.” The release dubbed him “Tax Hike Monty” and said the Realtors’ ad does not provide a clear picture of Newman.

While the ad states that Newman supports lower taxes, the Tinsley campaign slammed him for supporting raising taxes and fees several times as Hobbs mayor. The Tinsley campaign also claimed that Newman doesn’t know how to get things done, contrary to a claim in the ad, and doesn’t support limiting government.

“Despite the high-dollar, false assertions of the special-interest Washington, D.C. Realtor lobby, Monty Newman’s record is reflective of a tax-raising liberal spender,” Tinsley spokesman Christopher Maloney said in the release. “When it comes to lowering taxes, limiting government and controlling spending, Monty Newman is all talk and no walk.”

Update, 3:40 p.m.

Here’s the ad: