To gain control of the Iowa Senate, which has had a 26-24 Democratic majority for the last four years, Republicans have to win two Democratic-held seats and retain control over all seats they currently hold. The top two targets for the GOP now appear to be Senate district 5, held by three-term Democratic incumbent Daryl Beall, and Iowa Senate district 15, covering most of Jasper County and eastern Polk County. This seat is open because longtime Democratic incumbent Dennis Black is retiring. Both Democratic candidate Chaz Allen and Republican Crystal Bruntz started running positive radio commercials the same week early voting began. Last week, Republicans started running a negative ad on Allen that is still playing on Des Moines area radio stations.

Allen now has a positive television commercial running in the Des Moines market as well as a comparative radio spot. I’ve enclosed my transcripts of both ads after the jump.

Any comments about competitive state legislative races are welcome in this thread. I’ve been listening to live-streams of radio stations in other targeted Iowa Senate districts (in the Fort Dodge, Ottumwa, and Washington areas) but haven’t caught many political commercials.  

First television commercial supporting Chaz Allen:

Woman’s voice: I had lived here my entire life, and I worked at Maytag for eleven years. [footage of Iowa rural landscape as viewed by car traveling down highway]

Woman’s face is on camera, she continues to speak: Working at Maytag, you did have a sense of security.

Woody speaking on camera again: When the opportunity came for me to work there, I jumped at that opportunity. And then the plant shut down.

Woody’s voice continues: A lot of people here had to start all over. [viewer sees words on screen, “Maytag Departure Leaves Uncertain Future for Newton,” Sioux City Journal, 06.24.06]

Woody’s back on camera: Chaz wouldn’t let that happen. Because of Chaz, hundreds of jobs came back to Newton.

Woody’s voice continues: He knew how important jobs were to us. [viewer sees footage of Chaz Allen walking and talking with people at work sites, wearing goggles in what looks like wind turbine manufacturer; words on screen CHAZ ALLEN brought 1,400 Jobs Back to Newton]

Woody’s voice: It’s not about politics for Chaz. It’s about making a difference. [footage of Allen close up, talking to someone; paid for by the Iowa Democratic Party. Authorized by Chaz Allen 4 Senate.]

Latest radio commercial supporting Chaz Allen:

Male voice over: Iowa’s middle class. We always come back. We might get hit, but we’re never down for the count.

So when Crystal Bruntz’s supporters want to hand tax cuts to corporations and millionaires, help the rich get richer, and raise taxes on middle-class families to pay for it, we stand our ground.

We tell Crystal Bruntz and her friends, that’s not the Iowa way. Because Iowa doesn’t just work for the wealthy. Iowa needs to work for those who work for a living.

[change to more upbeat background music]

And that’s why we need Chaz Allen in the state Senate. When Maytag closed its doors, Allen refused to back down. He traveled the country recruiting new businesses, bringing fourteen hundred new jobs back to our community.

Now Chaz has a plan to give Iowa companies first crack at state contracts, so we create jobs here, not China. Iowa’s middle class: we always come back. And when it comes to standing up for us, Chaz Allen never backs down. Chaz Allen for state Senate. Paid for by the Iowa Democratic Party. Authorized by Chaz Allen for Senate.