INDIANAPOLIS -
Democratic gubernatorial candidate John Gregg is ready to take the race to Republican Mike Pence on television. Pence has been on the air for weeks, while Gregg's first ad went up Tuesday.
Gregg is known to deliver his message in a tongue-in-cheek fashion and his first campaign commercial certainly does that.
"I think political ads are pretty silly. So rather than have me ice skating or some such thing..." Gregg says in the new ad.
The commercial takes a backhanded shot at Pence, who started his campaign with a commercial showing him ice skating with his wife. Gregg's introductory commercial focuses on three friends from Sandborn.
"If you want someone who is going to bring people together and have a serious dialogue and be inclusive, then I am your guy," Gregg' said.
Gregg was scheduled to speak Wednesday at the Hyatt in downtown Indianapolis, but pulled out.
"It's not a money decision, it is a principle decision. I would not and have not in the past, when I wasn't a governor candidate, I haven't crossed a picket line," Gregg said.
The downtown Hyatt has been the target of a Hospitality Union boycott over wages and benefits for some time. Unions are certainly known to support Democratic candidates and Gregg is getting union support, but Unite Here which is an arm of the AFL-CIO says it has not donated to the Gregg campaign.
"I'm really happy he is doing this and honoring the boycott," said Elvia Bahena.
Bahena says she was fired by a subcontractor for the Hyatt after she testified in a public hearing before the City-County Council. For Gregg, it's all in the ad.
"I want to keep Indiana a place where we look out for one another," Gregg says in the ad.
Pence has a new television commercial on the air, as well.
"If we make job creation job one, Indiana will be the state that works. Mike Pence for Governor," the Pence ad says.
It is Pence's sixth commercial of the campaign as the air war begins.
If you haven't seen the whole commercial yet, you will. Both campaigns say they will have campaign commercials running from now all the way until Election Day.
John Gregg debuted his first TV ad Tuesday.
Mike Pence's sixth ad hit the airwaves Tuesday.
Gregg canceled a campaign appearance at the Hyatt downtown Wednesday.
Gregg said a strike by Hyatt workers led to the cancellation.
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