Wicker Up With First Senate Campaign Ad

With over five months to go until the general election, Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) is already airing an ad touting his work in helping secure funding to help rebuild the Gulf Coast part of the state after Hurricane Katrina.

"In Congress, Wicker fought for us after Katrina... In Congress, he achieved bipartisan support working with Senators Lott, Cochran and Congressman Taylor," a narrator says in the ad. "Wicker helped secure billions of dollars for recovery, rebuilding infrastructure, bringing new jobs.  He listens, he cares, he gets the job done."

The ad, which began airing last week, is only being broadcast in the Gulf Coast region of the state, and is designed to improve Wicker’s name identification outside of his old House district in northeast Mississippi. Wicker’s spokesman called it a “solid buy,” and said it is still airing in southeast Mississippi.

Wicker was appointed to the Senate by Gov. Haley Barbour last December following the resignation of Sen. Trent Lott (R-Miss.). Newly-elected Rep. Travis Childers (D-Miss.) picked up his old House seat earlier this month -- one that Wicker held comfortably during his 13 years in the House.

Despite the state’s conservative tendencies – it gave President Bush 59 percent of the vote in 2004 – Wicker is facing the prospect of a competitive election against former Democratic governor Ronnie Musgrove. The DSCC conducted an internal poll showing Musgrove leading Wicker by eight points, 48 to 40 percent – a lead largely based on the Democrat’s higher name identification throughout the state.

Another poll, commissioned by the liberal website Daily Kos this month, shows Wicker with a 46 to 42 percent lead over Musgrove.
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