INDIANAPOLIS -- Republican gubernatorial candidate Mitch Daniels planned to air his first television commercial Thursday.
Meanwhile, a rival for the Republican nomination, Eric Miller, filed a campaign finance report Wednesday showing $905,629 cash on hand as of Dec. 31. Daniels and Democratic Gov. Joe Kernan filed their reports last week, and each had just over $4 million in cash on hand.
Petersburg Mayor Randy Harris, who also is seeking the GOP nomination, reported raising $46,601 this year and having $4,655 cash on hand. He also reported debts of $24,867.
Daniels' 60-second commercial will be broadcast for the next week in all television markets based in Indiana and in the Louisville, Ky. market, which covers parts of southern Indiana. It will not air in the Chicago or Cincinnati markets. The spots will run on both network and cable stations.
The ad does not mention anything about Daniels' background or say he is a Republican. Campaign manager Bill Oesterle said it instead focuses on Daniels' vision.
The commercial features Daniels touring the state in a recreational vehicle, chatting with workers and visiting a school. He tells viewers that if there was a place in Indiana where people thought there were enough jobs and thought education was the best it could be, he would have found it by now.
''That RV out there has been to places nobody has been in a long time,'' he says.
Daniels says the state's leaders have lost touch with the severity of Indiana's problems.
''It's one of those moments in our state's history that calls for a fresh start,'' Daniels said.
Oesterle declined to say how much the TV buy cost, whether it would be extended past one week or when other commercials might start.8824-¦4-ú+â-«?N_AP Gov race pg 3_1/22/04DNEditorial882SORT+â-ñ+â-ä2AUDT
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