A new ad that’s going up today in the 55th Senate District from the Republican State Leadership Committee continues to hammer Democrat Ted O’Brien for supporting a judicial candidate in 1999 who was accused of sexual harassment.

Unlike a previous spot on from the committee that focused on the same story but featured a man’s voice, this television ad uses a female narrator.

Indeed, the attack ad is almost exclusively focused on accuations that former Monroe County Justice William Bristol was accused of sexual harassment and later followed a woman home from court once while noting that O’Brien endorsed his re-election bid. Bristol would lose his 2000 re-election campaign.

The Republican State Leadership Committee is a well-funded PAC that’s spent $747,125 on anti-O’Brien attack ads, according to its 10-day post-primary filing with the state Board of Elections.

Update: And here’s a rather lengthy response from the O’Brien campaign, which notes The Democrat and Chronicle called the previous ad “much ado about nothing” because of the relatively old news being used to criticize O’Brien.

 

“Once again, Sean Hanna’s allies are using the same tired tactics to distract voters from their candidate’s abysmal record on women’s issues. No amount of lies and distortions can cover up the fact Sean Hanna has been one of Albany’s most ardent anti-women legislators. He voted against strengthening sexual harassment safeguards, against pay equity for working women and against protections for women’s health.

Ted O’Brien’s advocacy on women’s issues is well known to the residents of the 55th State Senate district, which is why he’s been endorsed by various women’s rights groups including NARAL and Planned Parenthood and has the overwhelming support of women in Monroe and Ontario Counties.

Sean Hanna is running one of the dirtiest and most dishonest campaigns in recent memory in a desperate attempt to distract from his record of voting for one of the largest tax increases in Monroe County history, costing us jobs by supporting outsourcers and voting against raising the minimum wage.

“Sean Hanna is out of touch and there is no place for his extreme conservatism in the State Senate. Ted O’Brien is the only candidate who voted against raising property taxes every time he had the chance, the only candidate with a real jobs plan and the only candidate that will stand up for the women of Monroe and Ontario Counties.”

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