Adler campaign pulls radio ad likening Runyan to Hurricane Sandy

When Sandy hit the East Coast, destroying homes and leaving millions without power, most local candidates put their campaigns on hold. But one radio ad in a South Jersey congressional race invoked the coming storm to criticize the incumbent, Republican U.S. Rep. Jon Runyan.

The ad from Democrat Shelley Adler began with an announcer saying:

"They're calling it 'Frankenstorm' – a nor'easter inside of a hurricane. In New Jersey, we've seen acts of nature do real damage. We're also seeing our own member of Congress do lasting damage in Washington. Jon Runyan has been in Congress only two short years, and already he's voted over and over again against New Jersey workers and families."

Sounds of wind and rain play in the background.

The ad, which has since been taken off the air, played in a district hit hard by the storm. Runyan's turf includes a large portion of Ocean County, much of which lies along the Shore. The county was included the federal disaster declaration.

The spot began running on New Jersey 101.5 FM on Saturday - before the storm hit but as warnings were growing dire. The mammoth storm made landfall Monday night. On Tuesday, the Adler campaign asked for the ad to be removed, spokesman Michael Muller said.

He said it was pulled sometime Wednesday, though he said he did not know exactly when it stopped running. A 101.5 employee said the station does not comment on ad purchases.

Runyan on Thursday called for an apology.

"Shelley Adler should immediately take down this ridiculous and insulting ad, and publicly apologize to the people of Ocean and Burlington Counties, many of whom have been devastated by Hurricane Sandy," Runyan campaign manager Kristin Antonello said in a news release. "Shelley Adler's campaign has been dishonest and nasty from the start, but she should be embarrassed by her decision to ever run this radio ad. It really brings her judgment into question."

Muller said the ad was crafted "pre-storm" and contended Runyan was the one trying to politicize the fallout.

"It is appalling that Congressman Runyan, in the middle of this huge catastrophe, is trying to bring politics into the relief effort," the Adler aide said in a statement. "What Congressman Runyan is trying to do is to divert attention from his record on disaster relief. In the guise of calling attention to an ad which in no way denigrates or minimizes the storm that was impending at the time it was released, he is trying to proactively turn his back on inspection of his record as it relates to disaster relief."

Muller cited analysts who say votes for the House GOP budget plan, which Runyan backed, would lead to reductions in federal disaster relief.

Runyan's camp, in turn, issued reminders of his statements in 2011 emphasizing the importance of disaster relief after Hurricane Irene hit New Jersey.

Pollster Patrick Murray said the now-pulled radio ad could hurt Adler more than her intended target.

"There's a risk of a backlash trying to make any political hay out of this disaster," said Murray, director of Monmouth University's Polling Institute.

He said few expected the storm to hit as hard as it did, but that given the devastation, the ad appears "in the poorest taste."

"The only reason to do something like that is if you know you're behind and will do anything to shake things up," Murray said. "They probably knew they were in a losing proposition and it's not going to change the outcome of the election."

Explaining why it took until Tuesday to request that the ad be canceled, Muller said many people on the campaign, including himself, were either directly affected by the storm or trying to help hard-hit family members.

Muller said the Adler camp spent $4,000 to $5,000 on the ad. It concludes with Adler's voice saying she approved the message.