Republican gubernatorial candidate Mike Braun said he is replacing a doctored image in an attack ad against Democrat Jennifer McCormick.
The ad, which began airing this week, ran afoul of the Indiana's new law governing digital manipulation of campaign materials.
The Braun ad altered a photo of a McCormick campaign rally to falsify the signs of supports standing behind her in the image.
Braun said he didn’t decide to doctor the image and that when he initially reviewed the ad, it “looked OK.”
He said he’s now decided to replace the altered image entirely and use the original photo without falsified campaign signs.
“I think the content of what’s in the ad will stick and that’s just telling the truth about where she’s coming from,” Braun said.
The McCormick campaign called the original ad “dishonest” and accused Braun of being desperate to distract voters.
READ MORE: New law on digital alteration of campaign media comes into play with Mike Braun ad
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The Braun campaign also garnered controversy when his running mate, Micah Beckwith, said on a podcast that McCormick and the Democratic ticket had a “Jezebel spirit.”
Beckwith told the Indianapolis Star he didn’t intend any sexist or racist connotations, though the phrase has a long history of both.
Braun said he doesn’t like what Beckwith said, calling it a mistake.
“You don’t see that out of me,” Braun said. “Those are all things that you gotta stay disciplined in a campaign.”
The Republican picked up an endorsement from the National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB) Indiana PAC this week.
Braun is a longtime NFIB member and picked up the group’s endorsement for his U.S. Senate run in 2018.
“I can say firsthand that Mike Braun speaks small business fluently,” said NFIB Indiana State Director Natalie Robinson.
Braun said owning a small business is the “hardest job out there” and that he’s “hard-wired” to understand the concerns of small business owners.
“I’m going to fertilize the field of entrepreneurs and small businesses like no governor has ever done before,” Braun said.
Brandon is our Statehouse bureau chief. Contact him at bsmith@ipbs.org or follow him on Twitter at @brandonjsmith5.