Potter disappointed with Democrats’ attack ad

North Dakota U.S. Senate candidate Tracy Potter, a Democrat, said he’s “disappointed” with his party’s recent attack ad against Republican Senate contender Gov. John Hoeven.

Potter, a state senator from Bismarck, is the only declared Democratic candidate so far in the U.S. Senate race, and during his announcement, Potter said he wanted to “raise the level of civility in politics.”

He said the Democrats’ first ad of the campaign is inconsistent with his pledge, although its claims are accurate.

The North Dakota Democratic-NPL Party first released the ad Friday afternoon, attacking Hoeven’s fiscal conservative platform, which the Democrats say contradicts record, among other criticisms.

Potter said in a news release that he disagrees “with both the tone and the implication in that spot.”

“It implies that his budgets were wrong for increasing state spending levels, when Democrats in the Legislature all voted for the property tax cuts and increased aid to public schools, colleges and state employee pay,” said Potter, who has served in the Legislature since 2007. “We should be crowing about getting our platform points passed, instead of attacking him for pursuing Democratic Party policies.”

Potter reiterated his promise to lead a civil campaign and urged others to do the same.

“My campaign won’t shoot first like that against John Hoeven,” Potter said. “I don’t need to demonize him to win the election. … Let’s be civil with each other and treat the public like intelligent human beings. Let’s be positive.”

The Democratic-NPL Party said in its ad that it was not speaking on behalf of a particular candidate.

No Senate candidate will be endorsed by the party until its March convention.

Kristen Daum is a reporter at The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead, which

is owned by

Forum Communications Co.

Tags: nd government, government, potter, hoeven, democrats, advertisement, ad, attack