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SALT LAKE CITY — Provo Mayor John Curtis rides a motorcycle in his first TV commercial for the 3rd Congressional District Republican primary race, set to begin airing Wednesday.
"Unlike Washington, D.C., in Utah, actions speak louder than words," Curtis shouts above the roar of the engine in the 30-second spot that also shows him firing a pistol as he tells viewers, "I've spent my life getting things done."
Curtis is in a three-way race for the GOP nomination with former state lawmaker Chris Herrod and Alpine lawyer Tanner Ainge. Herrod was the first to hit the airwaves on Monday and Ainge's campaign said they will soon.
A recent poll of Republicans in the 3rd District showed Curtis with more than a double-digit lead over Herrod and Ainge, but nearly half, 49 percent, said they were undecided in the race.
The Provo mayor is also ahead financially of both Ainge and Herrod, according to reports of campaign activity through June 30 just filed with the Federal Election Commission.
In the commercial, Curtis talks about his business, his family and his time as mayor of the largest city in the 3rd District, which includes part of Utah and Salt Lake counties as well as Carbon, Emery, Grand, San Juan, and Wasatch counties.
"As mayor of Provo, I cut the budget and shrunk big government with conservative reforms," he says before crossing his arms and ending with: "It's not enough to talk about it. We need to get things done."
Herrod's commercial, also 30 seconds long, compared other Utah politicians to chameleons "always changing colors" and included nearly the same phrase Curtis is now using.
"Here in Utah, we know actions speak louder than words," Herrod says, then pledges to follow through on repealing Obamacare and building the wall along the Mexican border sought by President Donald Trump.
The winner of the Aug. 15 primary will face Democrat Kathie Allen and several minor party candidate in a special election in November for the seat that had been held by Jason Chaffetz. Chaffetz stepped down June 30 and is now a Fox News contributor.
