Philly DA candidate Khan takes swipe at Untermeyer in new ad
Joe Khan is pictured with a much younger Barack Obama, a professor of Khan's in law school.
Philadelphia district attorney candidate Joe Khan has opened his TV ad campaign with a swipe at hisbiggest spending rival in the Democratic primary.
Khan’s 30-second ad, scheduled to begin airing Sunday, focuses for the first few seconds on Michael Untermeyer, the former prosecutor-now real estate developer who’s invested more than $500,000 into his own campaign.
“After losing twice as a Republican, millionaire Mike Untermeyer switched parties just to run for DA,” a narrator says as the ad shows Untermeyer’s photo, an image of an elephant, and “GOP” in huge letters.
Untermeyer ran for district attorney in 2009 and City Council in 2011 as a Republican.
Before that, he ran for sheriff as a Democrat.
Most of Khan’s spot is flattering biography and solid Democratic credentials.
Photos show Khan with his Pakistani father, himself in a Central High football uniform, and him standing with a much younger Barack Obama, a professor of Khan’s in law school.
Speaking into the camera, Khan promises to “take on Donald Trump” and “stop the unfair prosecution of low-level drug offenders.”
Khan’s campaign said it’s made an initial six-figure purchase of TV time for the spot.
A source familiar with political ad buys tells me the campaign has spent just over $100,000, most of it to run the spot Sunday through Tuesday.
Khan is the third Democratic candidate to get the benefit of TV advertising.
Untermeyer’s been running commercials for several weeks, and civil rights attorney Larry Krasner is being promoted in ads run independently by a political committee associated with liberal billionaire George Soros.
I called the Untermeyer campaign about Khan’s jab, and spokesman Sam Miller offered this response:”Michael Untermeyer has always run as a reformer. Ten years ago, Michael Untermeyer ran as a reform-focused Democrat against a corrupt sheriff. Eight years ago, Michael Untermeyer ran against Seth Williams to reform the district attorney’s office. The district attorney’s office still needs to be reformed, and Michael Untermeyer is the only one with the independence to take on the tough fights and actually fix our broken criminal justice system.”
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