Sierra Club Attempts to Tie Hurt to Oil Industry in Latest Ad

A week before the midterm elections, the Sierra Club today released an advertisement touting Rep. Tom Perriello’s (D-Va.) record on clean energy and attempting to tie his Republican opponent, state Sen. Robert Hurt, to the oil industry. It’s the latest effort by outside groups to influence the race. Politico reported yesterday that the race was second in outside spending among all House contests.

The ad focuses on one of the major themes of the Perriello-Hurt race: energy. Perriello, a freshman representative, has faced criticism in his conservative Virginia district for voting for the House cap-and-trade bill. And Hurt has touted his support of offshore oil drilling. The latest polling shows that Hurt is leading in the race, signaling that Perriello could be voted out of office for supporting  President Obama’s policy agenda. (Perriello also voted for the health care bill). Hurt, in a recent ad, called Perriello a “rubber stamp” for Obama.

The Sierra Club ad says:

Robert Hurt: A favorite of oil billionaires. He’ll keep us dependent on foreign oil and give tax breaks to companies who outsource our jobs. But there’s a better choice. Tom Perriello is leading the charge to bring clean energy jobs to Virginia, supporting solutions like advance battery technology and guaranteeing veterans the jobs they need when they come home. Jobs. Clean energy. Veterans. That’s what Tom Perriello is fighting for.

In the last days of the midterm, Perriello is amping up his campaign appearances. Yesterday he pulled a John Edwards and campaigned for 24 hours straight.