Since entering the Senate race in January, Gillespie has distanced himself from Crossroads. In an interview in June, he denied having played a larger role in the organization.

“I was never a founder of if, I was never an officer of it, I was never on the board, never a consultant, and never got a dime from it,” he said.

Gillespie’s ad is likely only the first of more to come in the 75 days until Election Day.

Warner has released two TV ads so far. The first premiered on May 27; the second on June 10.

According to Politico, Gillespie has bought at least $100,000 of airtime — $55,000 in Norfolk-Newport News, $47,000 in Richmond and $27,000 in Roanoke-Lynchburg.

Gillespie spokesman Paul Logan did not comment on these numbers, but he said that Warner’s response to the ad is a sign that the senator is “clearly scared to debate Ed Gillespie’s agenda for economic growth or defend his Senate record of supporting President (Barack) Obama 97 percent of the time.”

“His false personal attacks on Ed are nothing compared to his Senate floor votes attacking hard-working Virginians,” Logan said Thursday.