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MELIA BOWIEIn the state House race, it appears the gloves have come off between John Stewart and John Legg.
The first attack ad in a previously quiet race for West Pasco's state house District 46 aired this week.
The radio spot comes in the week leading up to the Republican primary election, where candidates John Stewart, 57, and John Legg, 29, are competing for their party's endorsement on Tuesday.
The advertisement accuses Stewart, a real estate attorney, of favoring policies allowing illegal immigrants to get driver's licenses "even though it threatens Homeland Security."
The ad also says Stewart opposes Republican reforms and Gov. Jeb Bush's plan to improve schools.
Stewart, whose platform includes education, seniors' issues and health care, criticized the ad.
"I thought we had a campaign of ideas and issues and suddenly we got slammed with these negative ads," he said Wednesday. As for the accusations, "this is all false," Stewart said. "There is no basis for this. They've just created it out of nothing."
The radio spot is a paid political advertisement by All Children Matter - Florida.
The advocacy group, which promotes "school choice" in its mission statement, is led locally by venture capitalist/millionaire John Kirtley of Tampa - a strong supporter of school vouchers.
All Children Matter advocates also include lobbyist Brecht Heuchan, whom Legg said he contacted earlier this summer for campaign advice.
However, Legg said Wednesday that Heuchan "is not on staff" and he "is not directly involved in our campaign."
Heuchan said Thursday that he and Legg are friends but said the advertisement purpose is only intended to raise awareness about All Children Matter.
"It's up to anybody's interpretation but I don't see this as negative campaigning at all," he added, noting the statement about Stewart's position on illegal immigrants was taken from a survey both candidates filled out for the Catholic diocese in Florida.
Legg, founder of Pasco County's first charter school, said he first heard the radio spot on Tuesday.
Legg said he does note in his campaigning that Stewart was a Democrat until 1998 and as such "he did support the governor's opponents."
However, he said he was unaware of any stance Stewart might have on licenses for illegal immigrants and was not behind the advertisement.
"It's an independent group," Legg said of All Children Matter. "And I'm sure there'll be some independent group coming after me" at some point.