Corroon, the front-runner in the race, says in the one-minute radio spot that he understands what it means to be a public servant. "I will cross my t's and dot my i's," Corroon says.

That's a shot at Workman's initial response to the Boys and Girls Clubs hiring scandal, which she insists amounts to a paperwork mistake and not a crime.

In his ad, Corroon adds that he will produce "smart solutions, not excuses."

Corroon is introduced as an "expert" ready to "fix" county government. He vows to enact tough rules for county vehicle use and ban gifts to county employees while paying them an honest wage for honest work. "And I will create policies that prevent even the appearance of unethical behavior," he says.

The Democrat's campaign is spending $20,000 on the ads, airing on eight radio stations for the next two weeks. Workman's camp, which has substantially more money, has spent 25,000 on TV spots and about $45,000 on radio and newspaper ads.

- Thomas Burr