Nate McMurray responds to attack ad from Collins Campaign

Attack ads from the Collins for Congress Campaign hit the airwaves this week after Congressman Chris Collins reactivated his campaign after suspending it in August.

"Can you imagine being in office as long as he has and instead of talking about what he has done for people in this region.  He's trying to malign me for the fact that I speak a foreign language? It's really desperate," McMurray said.

7 Eyewitness News sat down with McMurray at his campaign headquarters to watch the ad.  He said the video is doctored and words on the screen don't match at all what he's saying in Korean, a language he speaks fluently.

"It's an act directly intended to mislead voters, I mean he should be held accountable for it," he said.

7 Eyewitness News asked the Collins campaign for an interview with the congressman.  The campaign sent this statement: 

“This ad is already doing serious damage to Nate McMurray’s campaign, and we are happy to keep talking about it. While he whines about disclaimers, voters are realizing two things - Nate McMurray has cost us American jobs and Chris Collins stands with President Trump. It’s too bad Nate didn’t spend as much time protecting American workers as he has obsessing about this ad.”

Dan Mecca is President of Abbey Mecca and Company, a local advertising agency.  He said Collins has set the tone for the campaign and can afford to do so with more than $1,000,000 in his war chest.

"Having money certainly gives you a lot more choices whether you want to go heavy negative with some positive or do a contrasting ad," Mecca said.  He continued, "You really need to rely on the advice of a good campaign committee and how you are currently being perceived by the voters and how you'd like them to perceive you."

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