WATCH, MYSTERY AD, Part 3: Mesa Mayor Scott Smith Is "Obama's Favorite Mayor"; Dark Money Group's Ad Posted. (FOLLOWING MONEY IN ARIZONA'S POLITICS)

The biggest outside group ad of the (still-young) campaign hit the airwaves on Friday, but just hit the internet this afternoon.  And, as suspected, it is targeting Mesa Mayor and GOP candidate for Governor Scott Smith.

(Read previous Arizona's Politics' articles on this ad here and here.)

The ad is pegged to Smith's current tenure as President of the U.S. Conference of Mayors.  Calling him "Obama's Favorite Mayor," the ad tries to tie Smith to liberal positions taken by the group before he was even its leader.



It is currently slated for a $173,000 ad buy in the Phoenix(/Mesa) market, being paid for by Legacy Foundation Action Fund, a new offshoot of the dark money political nonprofit Legacy Foundation, out of Iowa.  As LFAF has not appeared to follow up on their unconfirmed radio ads against the two Democratic Vice Presidents of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, it is likely that this major ad buy is more about Smith's part of the crowded race for the Republican nomination to replace Governor Jan Brewer than it is about Smith's activities with the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

Arizona's Politics will be following up with more on the advertising group and the ad.

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