Sexual explicit ad targets candidate

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - A local state Senate campaign has descended into a smut-fest. One campaign ad is using an image from a gay pornographic website against an incumbent senator.

In part, the ad states:  "How far will a politician go to get in your pant$?  For his Gay Marriage vote, Mark Grisanti received over $750,000.  Sometimes they're political whore$."

You can see the entire image of the ad at Buzzfeed.com   Warning: the images are graphic and may offend some people.

Senator Grisanti was one of only four Republicans who voted to legalize same-sex marriage in New York State last June. In two days, he will face fellow Republican Kevin Stocker in the 60th District primary election.

National political blog Politico.com and the Huffington Post reported on the ad this week, which appears to be an attempt to stir anti-gay emotion among voters.

The ad ends with a photo of two men embracing with the line, "Make sure your son says, 'Thank you, Mark Grisanti.'"

The ad states that it was paid for by "The Committee to Save the Erie County Republican Party." The group has no website or social media page.

Matthew Ricchiazzi, who ran briefly for Buffalo mayor in 2009, collected signatures to help put Stocker on the ballot. In an e-mail to reporter Lou Raguse, he wrote:

"When I first saw this mailer design, I thought it was brilliant. It is a harsh critique of the transactional nature of our politics, which is a message that resonates very strongly in the Republican primary. It equates the work of politicians with the work of prostitutes, and makes the argument that Grisanti has been selling his vote to the highest bidder. This mailer has little to do with gay marriage - something that I wholeheartedly support - and has everything to do with Mr. Grisanti's behavior in office, which some say has been akin to a prostitute. Indeed, any prostitute can do the work of a New York State Senator - and most can do it better."

We took the ad to Grisanti's opponent.

Stocker said, "You are the first one who has shown it to me. And I find it highly inappropriate and offensive. I think it's derogatory toward gays. And it's out of bounds and should not be involved in this campaign."

Stocker told News 4 his campaign is not responsible for the ad, nor does he condone it. He says he has never heard of the group behind the ad and doesn't even know if it exists.

"I have a lot of respect for people who happen to be gay," he said.

The ad implies Grisanti received money to change his stance on gay marriage when the State Legislature voted to make it legal last year. However, it offers no proof to support this claim.

When we asked for comment, Grisanti's campaign spokesman released a statement, saying, "Mark Grisanti is focused on the issue most important to voters in the 60th Senate District - creating jobs and getting our economy back on track. That's what he's done in two years as our Senator, and that's what he'll continue to do in his next term in office."

So far, it appears the ad has only been circulated over e-mail and through social media websites. Although it looks like a mailer, there are no reports of voters receiving them in their mailbox.