Businessman Wil Armstrong on Monday put two 30-second television spots on Denver network television as he sought the advantage over his three GOP primary opponents in the race to replace retiring Rep. Tom Tancredo (R) in the 6th district.

Also, Armstrong has been endorsed by local talk radio personality Dan Caplis.

In the two television ads, Armstrong highlighted his business experience and painted his GOP primary competitors as “career politicians.” One ad focused on high gas prices, with Armstrong talking directly into the camera about his plans to allow more domestic oil drilling in an effort to reduce energy costs.

Armstrong, the son of former Sen. Bill Armstrong (R), is running against Colorado Secretary of State Mike Coffman and two state Senators in the Aug. 12 primary.

Shafroth Launches Ad, Challenges Opponents

Will Shafroth, the least known of the three Democratic candidates seeking to replace Rep. Mark Udall (D), who is running for Senate, launched a 30-second TV ad Monday that focuses on political gridlock in Washington, D.C.

The spot, “Tackle,” opens with Shafroth seated on a bench along the sidelines of a football field, speaking to the camera as two football players run tackling drills. He calls himself an “outsider” and concludes, “Washington politicians need to stop hitting each other, and finally start tackling America’s challenges.”

The ad buy will run throughout the district until the Aug. 12 primary.

Meanwhile, Shafroth has also challenged his opponents to forgo personal and political action committee donations for the remainder of the campaign.

Though Shafroth has proved an adept fundraiser, he has lagged financially behind former state Senate President Joan Fitz-Gerald and wealthy businessman and former state Board of Education President Jared Polis. Fitz-Gerald is the favorite of establishment Democrats, and she has been showered with donations from PACs. Polis is personally wealthy, and has already contributed more than $2 million of his own money to his campaign.

Shafroth himself has not completely shunned PAC and personal donations, although his campaign spokeswoman said Monday that he had taken very little of either since March 30.

Through the end of the first quarter of this year, Shafroth had donated $9,600 of his own money to his campaign, while accepting $1,000 from Farm and Ranchland PAC and $5,000 from Fleishman-Hillard’s PAC.

The Shafroth campaign said there had been no response to its challenge from Fitz-Gerald and Polis.