Nelson Diaz launches TV-ad campaign two weeks before primary [video]

With a 30-second spot called “Voices,” mayoral candidate Nelson Diaz joined most of his opponents with a television-ad buy designed to highlight his “history as a civil rights champion, his bold plan to move Philadelphia forward and the contrast between Diaz and the other candidates in this race.”

Diaz campaign spokesman Barry Caro declined to put a specific number on the “competitive, six-figure buy [which] will stay on air through election day.” However, a source familiar with the ad placement tells WHYY’s Dave Davies that the buy is about $110,000 for the two weeks remaining.

Diaz joins candidates Anthony Hardy Williams, Jim Kenney, Lynne Abraham and Doug Oliver who each have made TV buys of varying levels during the campaign.

With Diaz’s buy, the only Democrat not taking to the airwaves is T. Milton Street Sr.; the Abraham campaign released a link to its second commercial on Wednesday as well. (See below).

The commercial, which takes shots at perceived frontrunners Kenney and Williams, features a montage of photos in which Diaz appears with family, Philadelphia residents, former U.S. President Bill Clinton and anti apartheid leader/South Africa’s first democratically elected president Nelson Mandela.

“Growing up in poverty, he was told ‘no, can’t, it’s impossible,’ but he found a way,” the ad’s narrator says before running through Diaz’s resume highlights. “That’s why as mayor, Nelson Diaz won’t accept the voices that say ‘we can’t fix schools without vouchers, we can’t stop police brutality. No. Can’t. It’s impossible.’ Nelson Diaz, he’s heard those voices before. On May 19, let’s hear yours.”

WHYY’s Aaron Moselle is working on a radio piece about the Chestnut Hill resident’s buy. Audio of that report will be added to this post as soon as it’s available.