Group with ties to Brownback airing ads on governor’s behalf

is up with an early round of TV ads

aimed at bolstering the governor in the wake of harsh criticism from his Democratic opponent.

Road Map Solutions is sponsoring the spot, which touts the state’s low jobless rate and Brownback’s plan for education.

The ad isn’t paid for by Brownback’s campaign. Road Map Solutions is a non-profit. Its president is David Kensinger, a long-time political adviser to the governor.

The group takes its name from Brownback’s “Road Map for Kansas,” which was his platform from his last campaign.

The AP reported that Kensinger plans to run the TV spot several hundred times over at least 10 days. The cost: at least $82,000. The ad is running on broadcast and cable stations in Topeka and Wichita.

The spot says the state is growing “and that means real opportunity to invest in our schools and our people.” Brownback, a conservative, is known for cutting taxes and downsizing state government.

“Why would anyone be terrified about people hearing the facts?” Kensinger told the AP. “These are bulletproof, air-tight facts.”

But Chris Pumpelly, a spokesman for Paul Davis, the Democratic candidate, said the ad is an attempt to distort Brownback’s record.

This story was originally published March 19, 2014 at 9:08 AM with the headline "Group with ties to Brownback airing ads on governor’s behalf."