U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn.VIDEO
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U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., speaks at the New Hampshire Republican State Committee Liberty Dinner in Concord, N.H., in this file photo.WASHINGTON -- Sen. Lamar Alexander doesn't have a declared opponent -- Republican or Democrat -- in his 2014 bid for a third term. But soon enough, your television or radio might give you the opposite impression.
Despite a positively uncrowded field, the Tennessee Republican and former governor has decided to spend $180,000 on television and radio ads.
They tout small-government rhetoric and feature a flattering comment from conservative up-and-comer Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky.
"Nobody wants to say no to Lamar Alexander," Paul says in the 30-second TV spot.
The ads will run statewide July 8-21 with extra saturation in Middle Tennessee. Residents will encounter the ads as they listen to the radio and watch broadcast networks and cable channels.
Alexander's first ad isn't a slam on President Barack Obama's health care law or a broadside against Democratic policies. Instead it celebrates a niche measure: The Freedom to Fish Act, an Alexander-pushed bill that temporarily lifted federal restrictions on fishing near dams on the Cumberland River.
"We don't want a government that's strong enough to make our lives risk-free," Alexander says in the ad. "We can do that for ourselves."
Some conservative activists say the ad deals with insignificant legislation. They call it a mirage designed to distract voters from Alexander's support for the immigration overhaul that passed the Senate last month.
"Lamar Alexander is no conservative," says a recent post on Conservative HQ, a website dedicated to "tea partiers."
"He's a member of the nation's ruling political elite, and he wants to keep hold of his power and prestige, no matter what the cost to the people of Tennessee."
Beyond the fact that Alexander's running unopposed, Volunteer State primary elections don't occur for another 13 months. But in an interview, longtime Alexander strategist Tom Ingram said it's not unusual for the senator to begin campaigning early.
"We run all out from the beginning," he said. "We run aggressively. If that means a strong opponent or if that means no opponent, we've done our jobs."
Alexander will have the money to hit the airwaves and combat such charges as the election draws near. On Tuesday his campaign said it raised $2 million between April and June.
Contact staff writer Chris Carroll at ccarroll@timesfreepress.com or 423-280-2025.