PORTLAND, Maine (NEWS CENTER) -- Some Maine business leaders are taking offense with a new political ad targeting Independent Candidate for Senate Angus King.
The ad was paid for by the United States Chamber of Commerce, one of the largest lobbying groups in Washington, DC. The group recently endorsed the Republican candidate in that Senate race, Charlie Summers.
Among other things, the announcer on the ad calls the Independent candidate "The king of mismanagement, who, when he left office, left Maine with a billion dollar shortfall."
King's campaign calls the 1-Billion Dollar Budget shortfall figure misleading and taken out of context. His communications director calls it a structural gap that most Governor's experience, including Maine's current Republican Governor.
8 maine business leaders, all supporters of Angus King fired back. One by one they spoke of King's accomplishments that helped Maine businesses thrive while he was the state's Governor. Some of them supporters of the group that paid for the ad.
"I'm a supporter of the US Chamber of Commerce and I have valued the work they do on behalf of local companies like Hancock Lumber in Washington DC, however their campaign is misguided and counterproductive to their interests", said Kevin Hancock, owner of Hancock Lumber.
The head of the Maine Republican Party says the ad is not negative, because the figures attributed to King are factual.
NEWS CENTER