Sen. Tim Johnson (D) is on statewide television with a campaign ad that features him and his wife discussing why he chose to run for re-election in the wake of an illness that kept him out of the Senate for nearly nine months in 2007.

Johnson had a brain aneurysm on Dec. 13, 2006, and was subsequently hospitalized, although he returned to work last September and has continued making a steady recovery. The Johnson campaign declined to discuss the details of the 30-second spot.

“My husband’s a little headstrong,” Barb Johnson says as the ad opens.

“I call it determined,” Sen. Johnson adds.

“All he wanted to do is get back to his job,” Barb Johnson says next.

“I’m getting better, but my speech needs work,” Sen. Johnson continues.

Johnson is running against state Rep. Joel Dykstra (R). The Senator is expected to cruise to re-election despite the conservative lean of the state, as the Democrat has remained popular at home and his GOP opponent is a lower-tier candidate who is severely underfunded.