The final two weeks of the primary campaign had OK voters listening and viewing a myriad of negative commercials, especially in high profile races to replace Congressman Istook in CD5 and to take on Brad Henry for Governor. Denise Bode and Bob Sullivan were both accused of breaking written pledges to not go negative. In these two cases, their ads didn't make much of a difference, both candidates came up woefully short. Negative advertising on both sides of the aisle for Lt. Governor didn't help these candidate's separate themselves enough in the public mind to avoid an August runoff. Hiett led the GOP primary with 76,622 votes or 42.8 percent. Pruitt was second with 60,357 votes or 33.7 percent. In one television ad, Hiett criticized Pruitt for missing close to 40 percent of the votes cast in the Senate this year. Pruitt criticized Hiett for refusing to publicly support the taxpayer’s bill of rights initiative petition, called TABOR, which would limit government spending. Pruitt, who signed that petition, also criticized Hiett by saying government spending has increased by 31 percent during Hiett’s leadership of the state House. In the Democratic primary, state Rep. Askins had 103,499 votes, or 40.2 percent to 74,773, or 29.1, percent for Pete Regan. Askins had some ads that called Regan a lobbyist. Her ad on Hobson referred to problems he had that caused him to resign as the Senate President Pro Tempore. Hobson resigned from that post because of a drinking problem. Posted at 7/26/2006 01:03:00 PM