State Sen. Kirk Schuring (R) emphasized his local roots in his first TV advertisement of the campaign. Schuring faces state Sen. John Boccieri (D), who recently moved into the 16th district from a neighboring district, in the race for retiring Rep. Ralph Regula’s (R) seat.

“I’ve lived here all my life, have a lot of fond memories,” Schuring says in the ad. “I know the people here and their needs. Diners at CW’s in Wooster are worried about their future. I have a plan to fix our economy that includes tax reform and fair trade policies that will create jobs. I know Medina families are feeling the pinch of higher gas prices. We need to drill in America and we need to aggressively pursue alternative sources of energy. I’m Kirk Schuring, I approve this message and I’ll be a voice for you.”

The 30-second spot, “One of Us,” was produced by Sandler-Innocenzi. Boccieri began airing his first television advertisement on Sept. 23.

Democrats are targeting the 16th district, which so far has received more funds from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee independent expenditure arm than any other district in the country.

So far, public surveys show a close race for the seat. However, an automated SurveyUSA poll sponsored by Roll Call gave Boccieri an edge over Schuring, 49 percent to 41 percent, among 635 likely voters questioned Sept. 19-21. It had a 4-point error margin.

O La La! Kilroy Appears in French Socialist Film

Republicans are circulating a French socialist documentary that features Franklin County Commissioner Mary Jo Kilroy (D), who is waging her second bid for the Columbus-area 15th district.

In the 1994 Noël Burch film, “Sentimental Journey: America’s Dissidents,” Kilroy waxes poetic about the far left in the office of her alternative Columbus newspaper. The video was first reported by the conservative Web site Redstate.com.

“I think too often, the left confines itself to a small number of people with signs, and a couple of chants, going around in a circle around the federal building in the center of the city and talking with each other, debating each other,” Kilroy says in the film. “We want to get that debate out, out of our own circles, and open up more people’s minds and hearts to possibilities of real change in this country.”

Republicans seized on Kilroy’s comments in the documentary about Burch’s own journey back to the United States for a reunion with his friends on the far left. National Republican Campaign Committee spokesman Ken Spain called the tape proof of Kilroy’s ties to the socialist movement.

“We have heard her call for ‘real change’ on the campaign trail, but after seeing her star in a French socialist film, it is clear that Kilroy’s definition of ‘real change’ means something completely different than what she has been selling to voters,” Spain said.

Kilroy faces state Sen. Steve Stivers (R) in the district represented by retiring Rep. Deborah Pryce (R). Pryce defeated Kilroy by 1,055 votes in one of the closest Congressional contests in the country in 2006. This year’s contest is also expected to be close.

A spokesman for Kilroy’s campaign, Brad Bauman, called the reaction to the video the “ridiculous ramblings of a right-wing blog.”

“Mary Jo sat for an interview over a decade ago with a filmmaker and talked about change,” Bauman said. “The people leveling these attacks are the same people who would dare to ridicule [Democratic Illinois Sen.] Barack Obama for being a community organizer. Seems like the Stivers camp and their allies are pushing this story so people forget about his life as a banking lobbyist during the most serious financial crisis since the Great Depression.”