Dean Barkley to release first TV ad

Dean Barkley
Independence Party Senate candidate Dean Barkley.
MPR Photo/Tim Nelson

Independence Party U.S. Senate candidate Dean Barkley will release his first television ad this week.

Barkley has raised a fraction of the money incumbent Republican Norm Coleman and DFL challenger Al Franken have. And both Franken and Coleman have national parties and outside groups pouring millions into the race to buy TV ads.

Barkley was filming his ad Tuesday, and he said it has a positive message.

"I've never gone negative. It's not going to be a negative ad. I'm going to talk to the people of Minnesota. I'm going to tell them why I'm doing this, why I think I'm the best choice, why I'm the only one that can actually bring some sanity to Washington D.C., change the way they operate, and actually start solving the myriad problems the two parties are ignoring right now," Barkley said.

Barkley served briefly in the U.S. Senate after the death of Paul Wellstone. Then-Governor Jesse Ventura appointed him.

Ventura's successful gubernatorial campaign was fueled in part by a series of humorous television ads.

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