Oregon Public Broadcasting

Oregon Republican gubernatorial candidate Chris Dudley is attacking his Democratic opponent on jobs. In a new ad released Wednesday, Dudley accuses John Kitzhaber of being weak on job creation.

It's the first time in this campaign that either candidate has referenced their opponent in a commercial.

Over a black-and-white photo of John Kitzhaber, a message appears on screen that questions the former governor's track record on job creation.

Dudley offers himself as a better alternative.

Voice of Chris Dudley in ad: "If we send the same people to do the same job, we'll get the same result. It's time for a new direction."

When asked about the ad, a Kitzhaber spokeswoman responded that Dudley has never created a job and that when Kitzhaber was governor the state experienced higher wages and productivity.

So far this election season Dudley is far ahead of Kitzhaber when it comes to fundraising, but he's been spending it as fast as he's been raising it.

The candidates are relatively close when it comes to available cash on hand.

On the Web:

Chris Dudley's new ad: http://www.chrisdudley.com/media/videos/83-television-ad-qnew-ideasq.html