By Lonnie Wong FOX40 News

September 6, 2010
SACRAMENTO—
Democratic candidate for Governor Jerry Brown began running his first TV ads on Labor Day. It touts his accomplishment during his first go around as governor. It say he got rid of the governor's mansion and limo created jobs and balanced budgets.

The ad coincides with the kick-off of his campaign during the Labor Day weekend. His appearance at a Sacramento Labor day picnic drew cheers by supporters who say a more engaged Brown is long over due. Speaking of opponent Meg Whitman, Capital Area Progressives member Mike Pina said, "She has a huge jump start. So we're just trying to mobilize in the grass roots area. Finally he's getting that spark going."

Brown got cheers from the crowd when he derided Whitman's strategy of spending a reported 130 million dollars to win over voters. "You're not going to win their trust by trying to buy it. It's not for sale. You have to earn it," said Brown.

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But the friendly crowd was deceiving because the race hinges on independent voters. Whitman senior adviser Rob Stutzman said, "Those independent voters understand that to turn this economy around, Meg Whitman comes from the business community and knows how to create jobs and Jerry Brown is more of the same a career politician."

Stutzman says the new ad invites scrutiny of Brown's record, which he characterized as a failure as governor. But Brown says voters won't be fooled by the negative ads by Whitman on his record. He said all Whitman could do after spending a fortune in ads was to create a dead heat. "There's nothing worse for a political candidate than to have the voters stop listening, and she may have reached that point," said Brown.