WASHINGTON — A powerful anti-tax group is airing television ads claiming one Republican candidate backed Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid for years while praising a tea party favorite as a fiscal conservative.
The Club for Growth Political Action Committee on Wednesday began a statewide ad buy in Nevada in support of Sharron Angle. The former state legislator has closed in on Sue Lowden in recent polls after Lowden suggested that the health care system worked better when patients could barter for treatment with livestock.
"Sharron Angle's Nevada's leading fiscal conservative: a commonsense fighter, always working to cut taxes for Nevada families and reduce government spending," an announcer says in a 30-second ad. "And Sue Lowden? She voted to raise taxes, supported huge spending increases and backed Harry Reid for years."
Lowden and her husband gave $5,000 to Reid between 1984 and 1989 but she says it was "at a time when Harry Reid was in a position to harm our business" without elaborating.
In a statement, she also notes her family has given more than $250,000 in cash or in-kind donations to the GOP.
"That's a 50-1 return on investment for Nevada Republicans and I'm not about to apologize for that," Lowden said.
Nevada Republicans pick their candidate to face Reid, the top Democrat in the Senate, on June 8.
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