Al Franken Challenger Literally Runs In First Televised Ad

Runner from JulianneMN on Vimeo.

Minnesota state Sen. Julianne Ortman (R), who is challenging incumbent Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) for his seat in 2014, literally runs for office in her first televised ad, released Tuesday.

"I'm a runner. I'm not fast, I'm not an athlete," Ortman says in the ad. "But when I start, I finish. Now I'm running for the United States Senate, to give every Minnesotan the right to succeed."

Ortman's biggest threat in the August 12 GOP primary is businessman Mike McFadden, who has faced criticism as of late, including from Ortman herself, for not having voted in a GOP primary in two decades. State Rep. Jim Abeler and St. Louis County Board of Commissioners Chairman Chris Dahlberg are also running for the Republican nomination to challenge Franken.

The latest external poll shows Ortman leading the primary race a few points ahead of McFadden, though Franken leads her by 15 percentage points in the general election.

Ortman's most high profile endorsement came from former Alaska governor and 2008 vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin (R). In a post on her Facebook page announcing the endorsement in March, Palin mocked Franken's career on Saturday Night Live and wrote, “Let’s make this proven conservative the one to take the fight to Al Franken this fall and make him the punch line. Julianne Ortman is the choice. She is good enough, she is smart enough, and doggone it, people like her!”