FL Gov candidate Jim Davis kicks off initial TV ad with Bob Graham

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Graham featured prominently in Davis' first ad



By LLOYD DUNKELBERGER
August 4, 2006

TALLAHASSEE - Using what may be his most formidable asset in attracting Democratic votes in the primary, Jim Davis announced Thursday that his campaign will begin running its first television advertisement next week, with a 30-second spot that prominently features former governor and U.S. Sen. Bob Graham.

Davis is the last of the major gubernatorial candidates to hit the state airwaves. His Sept. 5 primary opponent, state Sen. Rod Smith of Alachua, has been on the air for more than a week with two ads touting his candidacy. The two Republican candidates, Attorney General Charlie Crist and Chief Financial Officer Tom Gallagher, have been running ads for a month or longer.

Davis' spot will begin running in most major media markets beginning Tuesday, including the Miami market, although final details of the media buy were still being worked out, said Josh Earnest, a spokesman for the campaign.

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Smith's campaign aides questioned how effective the heavy emphasis on Graham will be in convincing Democratic voters that Davis ought to be their party's nominee. "I think Bob Graham was an excellent governor but we're not running against Bob Graham," said David Kochman, a Smith campaign spokesman. "I think voters want to hear from the candidate who is running."

Davis' campaign believes the ad will have an impact.

"We have the most influential and trusted Florida Democrat highlighting Jim Davis' record of independent leadership to the voters of Florida," Earnest said. He said the Graham ad provides a "powerful and important introduction" of Davis to the state's Democratic voters, many of whom are still undecided about the race.

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Davis brings in Graham in first TV ad


By S.V. Date
Friday, August 04, 2006

TALLAHASSEE — A day after opponent Rod Smith unveiled a second television ad, Tampa Congressman Jim Davis Thursday revealed his first ad of the Democratic race for governor, an endorsement by Bob Graham, the popular former governor and U.S. senator.

In the 30-second spot, which will begin airing statewide Tuesday, Graham describes Davis' achievements in the Florida Legislature and the U.S. House of Representatives and calls Davis "my friend, a great Democrat."

"Bob Graham is probably the most well-respected, trusted Florida Democrat," Davis spokesman Josh Earnest said. "It's a terrific introduction."

Graham, who retired from politics in 2005 after 18 years in the Senate, eight as governor and a dozen in the state legislature, was his party's top vote-getter in statewide races over three decades. But Graham has not run a Florida campaign since 1998, when he beat then-state Sen. Charlie Crist by a 2-1 margin. (He briefly ran a national campaign for president in 2003.)

Crist is now the front-runner in the Republican primary for governor.

"With all due respect to Gov. Graham, I don't think that someone else supporting you is going to persuade a lot of voters," Smith spokesman David Kochman said.

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Former Senator Graham also serves as Campaign chairman for Davis.