This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

The first campaign ads of the 2016 race are hitting Utah's airways Tuesday.

Citizens United is spending $200,000 on a series of TV, radio and web ads supporting Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, that will run through April 27.

The ads tout Lee as "an innovative leader" for unveiling a conservative agenda that includes a broader accreditation system for higher education, tax tweaks to benefit parents and more state control of roads.

Lee is up for re-election in November of 2016, but at this point is running unopposed. Republican and Democrat insiders are not aware of anyone active challengers to Lee, the Senate's most conservative member.

Citizens United is among a group of outside conservative organizations that have backed Lee. Others include the Senate Conservatives Fund, the Club for Growth, the Madison Project and FreedomWorks.