Candidate: Ad was made by the Republican Governors Association for the benefit of Republican gubernatorial candidate Chandler Woodcock. It was not coordinated with the campaign.

Length: 30 seconds, TV ad.

Producer: McAuliffe Message Media

Market: Statewide

Announcer: The ad is narrated by an off-screen male voice.

Visuals: Two children ride bikes in front of a church, with text flashing over the screen: “New Solutions” and “Change Maine’s Direction.”

The ad then shows Woodcock in a school, a photo of him as a soldier when he was younger and in front of an American flag. “Experience,” “Military Service” and “Public School Teacher” appear.

Then Woodcock is shown talking with three men on a tractor, a soldier and others while “State Senator,” “Experience,” “New Solutions,” “Lower Taxes,” “Cap Wasteful Spending” and “More Affordable Health Care Program.”

The ad ends with a Woodcock portrait shot, a church and a sunset: “New Solutions to Change Maine’s Direction. Chandler Woodcock: 207.287.1505.”

Text, audio: “New solutions to change Maine’s direction take experience. Volunteering for military service, a public school teacher for 25 years, seeking solutions as a state senator, Chandler Woodcock’s experience means new solutions for Maine’s future. A plan to lower taxes, to cap out-of-control state government spending, a promise to create a more affordable health care program. Tell Chandler Woodcock you support new solutions to change Maine’s direction.”

Purpose: This is a straight biographical advertisement. Its purpose is to introduce Chandler Woodcock to Maine voters. The conventional wisdom is that third-party advertising tends to be negative. In this case, the Republican Governors Association entered the gubernatorial campaign with a positive spot that highlights Woodcock’s personal story.

The ad is careful not to expressly advocate for Woodcock. Because he’s running as a publicly financed Maine Clean Election Act candidate, an advertisement by a outside group that said to “vote for” Woodcock could trigger matching funds for Green Independent Pat LaMarche and independent Barbara Merrill, who are also MCEA candidates.

The ad buy is large, especially given that MCEA candidates are limited initially to just $400,000, although that figure could climb.

Accuracy: The ad makes no specific claims. It says that Woodcock has a plan to lower taxes and to cap state spending, which could refer to the candidate’s support for the Taxpayer Bill of Rights. During his time in the state Senate, Woodcock has also supported changes in the regulation of the health insurance industry, which Republicans say would lower the cost of insurance. Those changes included advocating for a high-risk pool and ending many of the mandates required of insurance policies.

Our view: The ad is well-done and effective. With less than two months left in the campaign, Woodcock must still introduce himself to a lot of Maine voters who are just now starting to pay attention to the fall elections. The Republican Governors Association ad uses the rich detail of Woodcock’s personal story to do just that. Strategically, the ad also forces Gov. John Baldacci’s campaign or its surrogates – particularly the Maine Democratic Party – to launch their own advertising campaign. They couldn’t cede the airwaves to a pro-Woodcock spot without an answer.

To avoid being express advocacy, the ad gives viewers a telephone number to call Woodcock and tell him “You support new solutions to change Maine’s direction.” The number listed is 207-287-1505, which rings the Republican state Senate office. That office can’t help with campaign-related information and redirects calls to Woodcock’s campaign. It’s an old trick of “issue” advocacy – tell the viewers to call a number to learn more or make their opinion heard.

To most viewers, there’s not a lot of difference between express advocacy and an issue ad like this one. But the law is specific. While the Maine Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices will consider a request by LaMarche to review the ad, the chances of its triggering matching money would appear slim.

Issue advocacy like this plays to a loophole in the law. This ad is intended to help Woodcock. Nobody who sees it can argue otherwise – except lawyers and campaign experts. The Maine ethics commission will consider the issue at its September meeting.