Koch network launches $2 million anti-Bredesen ad in Tennessee's US Senate race

Natalie Allison | The Tennessean

The conservative political arm of the Koch network is launching a $2 million ad buy against former Democratic Gov. Phil Bredesen, signaling a major investment by the group in Tennessee’s U.S. Senate race this fall.

The 30-second ad, which will begin airing statewide Thursday on cable, broadcast and digital platforms, attacks Bredesen’s spending on upgrades to the governor’s mansion, along with multiple tax increases and fee hikes that took place while he was Tennessee governor from 2003 to 2011.

It was paid for by Americans for Prosperity-Tennessee, the state chapter of the national conservative political advocacy group funded by billionaire Charles Koch.

Meanwhile, the Bredesen campaign launched a new digital ad of its own Wednesday in anticipation of attacks against the former two-term governor. In the ad, Bredesen notes that while "the attacks have started," he would rather "be talking about ideas."

AFP announced earlier this month its launch of “grassroots activities” in support of U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn, the Republican running against Bredesen for the seat held by retiring U.S. Sen. Bob Corker.

Phil Bredesen and Marsha Blackburn speak at an opioid epidemic summit in Nashville Phil Bredesen and Marsha Blackburn speak at an opioid epidemic summit in Nashville

“When our state’s budget was in crisis, Phil Bredesen supported higher taxes on us,” a narrator states in the ad, referring to roughly $900 million in tax increases, some of which were temporary, during Bredesen’s time as governor.

While the ad charges that Bredesen supported “higher gas taxes, sales taxes and more,” neither the state’s sales tax nor gas tax increased during his tenure.

Annual “technical corrections” bills that sought to close corporate tax loopholes and increased other taxes and fees passed the legislature with bipartisan support each year during Bredesen’s administration.

The state’s gas tax increased last year under the IMPROVE Act, legislation pushed by Republican Gov. Bill Haslam to fund nearly 1,000 transportation projects.

Anti-Bredesen ad criticizes spending on governor's mansion upgrades

The ad goes on to criticize the state’s spending on renovations and upgrades to the governor’s executive residence during the Bredesen administration.

“While we struggled through a recession, Bredesen wasted $9 million taxpayer dollars upgrading his governor’s mansion,” the narrator says, noting “$4 million spent on a party cave.”

Gallery: Remodeled Governor's Mansion

Bredesen and his wife, Andrea Conte, did not move into the governor’s mansion, choosing instead to remain in their Nashville home during both terms.

Haslam’s family in 2011 was the first to move into the updated mansion following the renovation.

The six-year renovation project was controversial among Oak Hill neighbors living around the mansion, primarily due to the largely underground reception hall that could be seen as a bulge from the road, according to a September 2009 story in The Tennessean.

Previously, governors had erected temporary tents to entertain large groups of guests at the residence.

The roughly $18 million upgrade project involved $9 million in spending by the state, which included making the home accessible to people with disabilities by installing elevators, a ramp and other features.

Old wiring, a leaking roof and cracked lead paint were also replaced in the mansion, which had been built as a private home in 1931.

In response to learning of an ad highlighting tax increases under Bredesen, campaign spokeswoman Alyssa Hansen touted Bredesen's record of balancing budgets without "imposing an income tax or increasing the sales tax on Tennessee families."

"He also worked diligently with the legislature to raise the tobacco tax to fund education and to close corporate tax loopholes that were siphoning resources away from public safety, health care, education and other priorities," Hansen said.

Outside groups expected to heavily fund Tennessee's U.S. Senate race

The television spot isn’t AFP’s first ad purchase in Tennessee this election season.

The 501(c)4 organization took out a full-page advertisement in the print edition of The Tennessean over Memorial Day weekend, thanking Blackburn for voting against a $1.3 million spending bill this spring.

Outside groups are expected to spend heavily in Tennessee's U.S. Senate campaign. Already, the Democrat-aligned Majority Forward and the Republican-aligned Senate Leadership Fund this month have aired ads in support of Bredesen and Blackburn, respectively.

Efforts by the third-party groups have come under scrutiny.

Tennessee Citizen Action, a Democratic-aligned nonprofit, filed a Federal Election Commission complaint earlier this month against Blackburn’s campaign for remarks made by strategist Ward Baker regarding the Koch brothers’ role in supporting her bid.

The complaint argues that Baker implied there was “coordination or plans to coordinate” on strategy with AFP and Super PACs to elect Blackburn, which her campaign called a “frivolous complaint design to get earned media.”

The current anti-Bredesen ad will air until Sept. 16 on channels including CNN, Fox News and WKRN-TV, as well as on Facebook.

An AFP spokesman said the organization has not determined whether it will purchase additional television ads this fall in the race for Corker’s seat.

In his new digital ad, Bredesen says he wants "to talk about how to help Tennesseans," citing health care, debt and the opioid epidemic as areas in need of improvement.

Reach Natalie Allison at nallison@tennessean.com. Follow her on Twitter at @natalie_allison.