Mandel Airs First Ad In U.S. Senate Campaign

Republican Josh Mandel has launched his first TV ad in his quest to unseat Democratic U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown. The biographical ad, titled "Boots," will appear on broadcast and cable outlets across Ohio starting on Wednesday. It focuses on Mandel's two tours of duty in Iraq as a U.S. Marine. The 30-second spot doesn't mention that Mandel is Ohio's state treasurer. He's been criticized for neglecting that job to launch his Senate bid and raise money around the country. Mandel missed 14 monthly meetings of a powerful deposit board he chairs, and took a weekday fund raising trip to the Bahamas. Brown, leading in polls, told supporters in an immediate fundraising appeal that Mandel spent $580,000 on the ad buy. A campaign spokesman for Mandel declined to confirm the figure.