By David Gerber, Contributing Writer

Commercial campaign season is here once again, and on Thursday D. Raja, the Republican candidate for Allegheny County Executive, became the first to hit the tube.

His first general election television ad, a positive introductory spot that seeks to portray the former Mt. Lebanon commissioner as “a businessman, not a career politician,” will run on both cable and broadcast (with an accompanying radio spot launching as well).  A source close to the campaign characterized the buy as “significant…bigger than Fitzgerald’s.”

“Being on TV is an important part of this and every campaign,” says Raja’s campaign manager James Genovese. “This is a race that we are confident we can win, if we can get our message out. Raja is a successful businessman who has created hundreds of jobs and cut local taxes. Our opponent has a record of raising taxes, wasting money and has never created private sector jobs. The contrast couldn’t be clearer.”

In the spot, Raja says he intends to implement ideas like natural gas buses and use airport redevelopment to spur job creation and revenue boosts.  He’s also described as “an innovator who has cut taxes and spending and will do the same in county government.”

Democratic opponent Rich Fitzgerald responded by asserting that Raja’s ad masks his record of killing jobs and taking part in illegal activities.

Fitzgerald’s camp said Raja became wealthy by shipping American jobs overseas. They point out that on CEI’s website, Raja’s company’s website, in verbatim says, “CEI’s vision is to be the number 1 services provider in contracting jobs and outsourcing.”

“Raja refuses to tell the people of Allegheny County that his real record on jobs includes outsourcing hard working Americans’ jobs overseas and refusing to pay his own workers the minimum wage or overtime,” said Mike Mikus, Fitzgerald’s campaign manager.  

“He can talk all he wants but it won’t change the fact that he got rich by sending jobs overseas.”