Attack ads again will target Senn

An out-of-state special-interest group has launched a $1.3 million negative television ad campaign against state attorney general candidate Deborah Senn, who faced a similar barrage just before September's primary election.

The Washington, D.C.-based Republican State Leadership Committee this week bought the spots targeting Senn. Some of the top contributors to the committee include the American Tort Reform Association, Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, R.J. Reynolds Tobacco, Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance, ExxonMobil and the National Rifle Association, according to the Center for Public Integrity. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is also among the contributors.

"There they go again," Senn said.

Just before the Sept. 14 Democratic primary, the U.S. Chamber paid for $1.5 million in ads that blasted Senn, the former state insurance commissioner, as anti-business. Many believe the ads backfired and actually propelled Senn to victory.

Senn said the groups funding the latest ads "are all the types of industries that normally attorneys general have taken a look at. These are big Washington, D.C., special interests.

"Clearly they want one of their own for attorney general. I've been fighting for consumers."

Senn said special interests would rather see Republican opponent, King County Councilman Rob McKenna, elected.

Craig Wright, McKenna's campaign manager, said Senn should be careful about claiming the moral high ground given that the Democratic Party is spending nearly $800,000 on attack ads against Republican candidates in the state, including McKenna.

"We have known all along that there would be independent expenditures in this campaign," Wright said. "The Democratic Party is now running ads containing blatant falsehoods ... one that says McKenna supports legislation to ban abortion.

McKenna is personally pro-life, but his political stance is pro-choice, Wright said.

"To say that he supports legislation to ban abortion is an outright fabrication," he said.

As of yesterday afternoon, the anti-Senn ads had not aired. But Wright was already bracing for Senn's response.

"We always get blasted for these things but, we have nothing to do with them," Wright said. "Neither campaign controls independent expenditures."

Some experts, as well as Senn's Democratic primary opponent Mark Sidran, contended that the outside ads helped her by increasing her exposure and creating an image of her as a victim.

But experts say the result may be different in the Nov. 2 election.

"Usually attack ads work," said University of Washington political science professor Bryan Jones. "They're usually effective depending how they're framed."

He said Senn was able to parlay the last attack in her favor, but this time it will be more difficult.

"It's much more likely to be effective in a general election than in a primary," he said. "You don't have as informed a voting public ... people are more anchored (to party affiliations), generally less informed and more likely to be influenced by the negative message."

Jones admitted an ad buy this late in the game can sometimes backfire, however. "The danger is you raise the name recognition of the person you are attacking," Jones said.

Representatives from the Republican State Leadership Committee could not be reached for comment.

P-I reporter Chris McGann can be reached at 360-943-3990 or chrismcgann@seattlepi.com

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