Nasty Campaign Ads Driving More Voters To Polls

Name-calling, accusations, and nasty ads. New Mexico’s candidates are doing it all. And most voters said they cannot stand the negativity.

ABC-7 received an e-mail about the attack ads from Ken in Las Cruces. He wrote, “Enough is enough!!! It’s to the point that I am mostly watching DVDs or premium cable in order to avoid the constant barrage of mud-slinging political ads.”

Instead of focusing on the issues, many candidates are throwing out personal attacks in their campaign ads.

Some early voters said they are sick of the negativity and it is changing their vote.

An ad for gubernatorial candidate Susana Martinez addresses her opponent’s negative claims: “Diane Denish crossed the line.”

And an ad for gubernatorial candidate Diane Denish fires back: “Susana es una tejana.”

One voter said she cannot stand watching the ads anymore, “I’m not in favor of it.”

Some said they expect campaigns to take-on a negative tone. “It’s just a game,” another voter said.

Early voter Penny Clark said to some extent, attack ads have actually swayed her opinion.

“It almost sickens you out when you hear that over and over again,” Clark said.

The nasty ads clouding New Mexico’s airwaves have turned the election from political to personal.

“It’s an attention-getting device,” Richard Hiss, who understands but dislikes the ploy, said. “When you call somebody a name, people on the TV especially nowadays, perk up when they hear something like that.”

An ad for congressional candidate Steve Pearce lashes out at his opponent: “Harry manages by fear and intimidation.”

And an ad for congressional candidate Harry Teague counters Pearce’s attack: “You’ve heard Congressman Pearce’s personal attack on Harry Teague.”

With 12 days to go, more than 11,000 early voters have cast ballots. Nearly the same number during all of early voting in the last gubernatorial race.

“I think perhaps the ads are driving some people to the polls,” Lynn Ellins, Dona Ana County Clerk, said. “But I think it’s going to be a great deal closer than people think.”

Some voters said they are so sick of the ads, they wanted to vote early, and forget about them.

“Probably hit on mute ha ha you know I’ve said my peace with my vote,” Clark said. “But I will be watching election night to see how it all turns out.”

There are about 100,000 registered voters in Dona Ana County. At this rate, Ellins expects about a 65% voter turnout. But those nasty ads could have a negative effect for some campaigns. Some voters said they are siding with candidates with fewer attacks and more of a focus on hard-hitting issues.