LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Louisville Mayoral Candidate Craig Greenberg’s first TV advertisement focuses on the day a gunman fired six rounds at him inside his campaign office.
While some pushed back on the ad, others said it could pay off for the Democratic candidate.
Greenberg's ad, titled “Valentine’s Day,” also included never-before-seen photos of the office after the shooting. It also shows how close one bullet came to Greenberg.
WHAS 11 requested photos of Greenberg’s office from his campaign on at least three separate occasions. On Feb. 22, Greenberg’s campaign said they could not release them until the Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) said it was okay.
Greenberg, who does not speak in the ad, said he this story isn’t one his campaign ever wanted to tell.
"Every time I see it, it's challenging," Greenberg said. "It reminds me just how blessed and fortunate I am to still be here and it reminds me that I need to stay focused on working with others to make Louisville safer so no one else has to experience what my team and I experienced that day and are even worse."
Greenberg’s ad features his wife, Rachel, who shared what went through her mind after hearing what happened.
“I thought to myself, did I kiss him goodbye?” Rachel said in the ad, after describing the morning of the shooting.
Four other people were with Greenberg in his office when the gunman opened fire on him. The suspect has been charged with attempted murder and four counts of wanton endangerment in connection with the Feb. 14 incident. He has pleaded not guilty.
Stephen Voss, a specialist in elections and voting behavior at the University of Kentucky, analyzed the ad. He said he felt the ad portrayed Greenberg as though he died in the shooting.
"The music, the somber tone, the fact that the images of him are either still or slow-motion past shots of him interacting with family — emotionally, we're going through the process of him having been murdered even though the words are telling us that he's alive and available as a candidate for mayor."
Voss said the somber tone of the ad could pay off with voters but isn't ready to say that for sure yet.
"Angry messages sell better," Voss said. "They motivate people more. Trying to sell an anti-crime message in a sort of friendly, soft way hasn't really been tried very much, and it may not succeed as well."
Voss said the anti-crime ads centered on anger typically evoke criticism because some feel candidates are accusing certain people, groups or areas of being behind crime rates.
"Trying to portray an anti-crime message in a more unifying way based on something other than anger is remarkable," Voss said.
University of Louisville law professor Sam Marcosson said he thought Greenberg's ad was incomplete.
"What was missing for me was any actual attention to what Mr. Greenberg will actually do as he says he will try to combat crime," Marcosson said.
BLM Louisville criticized the campaign for not including who they consider being the "main victims of gun violence." The organization tweeted they don't think Greenberg's family is the typical face of those dealing with it regularly.
Other candidates weigh in
After the incident, other mayoral candidates quickly condemned gun violence and said it had no place in a political campaign.
There is a large pool of candidates running to replace Mayor Greg Fischer, who will be term-limited after this year.
Democratic candidate Timothy Findley said he found Greenberg's ad odd.
"What happened to Mr. Greenberg was reprehensible, and we're all very sorry that it happened," Findley said. "With that being said, I thought the video was disingenuous for this reason. To politicize an experience like that really confuses me, as to what the message is really about. Is it, 'I was almost shot. So vote for me to be the next mayor?' Is it a dog whistle to those who are dealing with fear in our community?"
Jefferson County Circuit Clerk David Nicholson, another Democrat running for mayor, was the first to release a TV ad this campaign cycle.
The ad, titled “Listen, Learn, Lead,” first aired on March 9. It focuses on Nicholson's public safety plan which includes neighborhood-level policing to get law enforcement officers in touch with each neighborhood.
Nicholson, who is the current Jefferson County Circuit Court clerk and has previously worked as executive director of the county's Criminal Justice Commission, didn't directly comment on the ad but did mention his experience with the criminal justice system.
"I'm the only one running in this primary election that has the experience in public safety," Nicholson said. "With the state of the crisis, I see our community, we cannot afford a rookie to lead public safety charge."
Jeffersontown Mayor Bill Dieruf, a Republican running to be Louisville's next mayor, said he intends to bring Jtown Police Chief Rick Sanders if elected. Dieruf said combined, the two of them have the experience to get violent crime under control.
"There is experience and then they're successful experience a mayor," Dieruf said. "The successful experiences both the mayor and what Rick Sanders brings with us when we go downtown is ready day one to get Louisville back on track to where they need to be where people feel safe everywhere."
Dieruf said he doesn't intend to run political ads. Instead, he said he's focusing on getting out
"The people want to talk to the candidate," Dieruf said. "They don't want as much want to see an ad on TV that's selling them on a candidate."
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