Your choice: backed by “big union bosses” or someone with a “radical past”
Rep. Monica Stonier, D-Vancouver, won her 17th Legislative District seat, Position 1 by 140 votes last election. Both Stonier and her Republican challenger Lynda Wilson expect it to be another close race. And both candidates are doing their best to appeal to their base by painting their opponent in the stereotypical terms that seem to resonate with voters.
Voters get a choice between someone backed by “big union bosses” or another candidate trying to hide their “radical past.”
On Oct. 15, Wilson told her Facebook friends, the “big special interest union money from up north” has arrived!
Wilson was referring to an infusion of cash from the Washington Education Association to buy a campaign television spot promoting Stonier.
The narrative starts out, “Big union bosses and special interests are dumping in thousands of dollars to attack Lynda Wilson. Why? Because they cannot control independent leaders like Wilson who will represent Clark County first, not special interests in Seattle.”
When the ad says “not special interests in Seattle,” a picture of Stonier’s head flashes across the screen.
Here’s Wilson’s attack ad blasting Stonier for attack ads.
Wilson’s Facebook post was a little early. The WEA did release an advertisement but after a complaint from the Freedom Foundation, a conservative think tank, the union tweaked the advertisement and distributed it again this week. There were rumors the Freedom Foundation complained because the WEA’s advertisement in favor of Stonier had false information about Wilson. The truth is, the Freedom Foundation officials said they don’t care who wins, but they didn’t want their name used in the advertisement.
WEA’s tweaked advertisement, released this week, starts out with “What is Republican Lynda Wilson trying to hide? Her radical past as a leader of the Tea Party, so extreme she even opposes early childhood education.”
See the spot here:
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LcAJDjRr8Y0&w=560&h=315]
Lauren Dake
Lauren Dake covers politics for The Columbian. You can reach her at 360-735-4534 or lauren.dake@columbian.com. Follow her on Twitter .