JEFFERSON CITY — Supporters of Missouri Gov. Mike Parson are launching a statewide television advertising buy Tuesday to emphasize what they say are his public safety credentials.
The former Polk County sheriff, who became governor in 2018 after former Gov. Eric Greitens resigned, is depicted as a crime fighter in the 30-second spot, which is airing across the state on broadcast and cable channels.
“This is how we planned to roll out the campaign, early and aggressively,†said John Hancock, chairman of the Uniting Missouri political action committee, which has been raising money on Parson’s behalf in anticipation of a November 2020 matchup against Democratic state Auditor .
“Insider forces are desperate to keep their grip on power and sense trouble ahead, otherwise they wouldn’t need to go up with TV and radio ads this early,†Eric Slusher, spokesman for Galloway, said in a statement.
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Hancock, who is presiding over a war chest of more than $5.1 million, declined to say how much the weeklong ad buy will cost. Federal Communications Commission records reviewed by the Post-Dispatch show at least $58,752 in orders by the PAC.
“Mike Parson served in law enforcement for 22 years,†the ad says. “A former sheriff … Parson is tough on crime.â€
Alexandria, Virginia-based Pinpoint Media produced the spot. The company previously did work on former Missouri House Speaker Catherine Hanaway’s unsuccessful bid for governor in 2016.
The ad notes that Parson has sent Missouri State Highway Patrol troopers to patrol the interstates in ºüÀêÊÓƵ as a way to give local police more time to deal with a significant spike in gun violence last year.
Parson, however, has been unable to convince his fellow Republican lawmakers to join with the mayors of the state’s larger cities on potential gun violence initiatives.
The ad also may serve as an introduction of sorts for Missourians who aren’t familiar with the Bolivar cattle farmer, who was not elected to the post he’s currently serving.
served in the House and Senate and was elected lieutenant governor in 2016 in an election where the focus was largely on presidential and gubernatorial politics.
He was elevated to the top spot after Greitens’ departure amid a cloud of scandal.
Galloway was elected to a full, four-year term as auditor after being appointed to the office in 2015.
Unlike Parson’s traditional campaign account, the Uniting Missouri PAC can accept unlimited donations. Galloway’s supporters have also set up a PAC, Keep Government Accountable, which has less money on hand than the Parson group.