Sen. Leticia Van de Putte says her Republican opponent for lieutenant governor is fear-mongering with his first fall television ad released this week.
The ad links the threat of an ISIS invasion to the candidates' dueling policies over immigration.
Republican Dan Patrick鈥檚 30-second TV ad opens with truckloads of fighters, waving guns as they roll down a street. He suggests they鈥檙e members of a group that beheaded Americans and Democrat Van de Putte鈥檚 policies make them a danger to Texans.
Patrick鈥檚 voice is heard saying, 鈥淲hile ISIS terrorists threaten to cross our border and attack Americans, my opponent falsely attacks me to hide her failed record on illegal immigration.鈥�
Van de Putte says her opponent is trying to frighten voters.
鈥淚t鈥檚 one more example of using the politics of fear and harsh rhetoric to hide my opponent Dan Patrick鈥檚 no agenda for border security,鈥� she said during a wide-ranging interview in the 四虎影院 television studios.
The state senator from San Antonio acknowledges, however, that Patrick鈥檚 correct when he says she opposed putting National Guard troops on the border.
She agrees that extra law enforcement is needed there but says the governor鈥檚 deployment of 1,000 National Guard troops is ineffective and "unsustainable."
鈥淲e鈥檙e spending $18 million a month,鈥� she said of the current border deployment which includes about $12 million for the Guard and the rest for additional Department of Public Safety officers.
鈥淚t鈥檚 costing way too much money and (the National Guard) can鈥檛 arrest people. They can鈥檛 arrest those that would do harm,鈥� she said.
Van de Putte says she鈥檚 talked with local law enforcement near the border and that鈥檚 why she鈥檚 calling for Guard soldiers to be replaced with at least 500 additional DPS cadets who have the authority to make arrests. She estimates the change would cost the state about half of what it's currently paying for the border "surge."
Patrick鈥檚 campaign could not be reached to comment on Van de Putte鈥檚 proposal for replacing the Guard with more DPS officers.
In his ad, Patrick says the National Guard is a key element in Texas鈥� border security.
Van de Putte says she鈥檒l be releasing a statewide TV ad soon.
四虎影院 asked Van de Putte and Patrick to sit down for extended videotaped interviews. So far, only Van de Putte has agreed to do that.
