"There's a lot of work to do in Salt Lake County to put things back on track, and it starts with people doing the right thing for the right reasons," Ivory says in the 30-second TV spot airing on Salt Lake City area stations.

Ivory's campaign is spending $75,000 on the commercials, which also will air on Comcast cable. He also has bought $13,000 in newspaper ads. Ivory, one of Utah's largest home builders, is running as a write-in candidate but carries the backing of the county Republican Party, which withdrew its support last week for incumbent Republican Nancy Workman.

The first published ads for Ivory appeared Sunday in Salt Lake City's two daily newspapers. The full-page ads and TV spots tout his promises not to take a salary, a county car, county credit card or campaign contributions.

Democrat Peter Corroon has reserved about $60,000 in time on area TV stations and cable, but his spots have not yet been filmed. Corroon's camp also plans about $20,000 in radio commercials before Nov. 2 on top of the $20,000 the Democratic front-runner already has spent on radio time.

Media consultant Josh Ewing said Corroon will air cable commercials starting next week followed by broadcast spots the week after.

"The ads will focus on Peter Corroon as someone voters can trust to restore faith in county government," Ewing said Monday.

Corroon leads in the polls, thanks largely to Workman's legal woes and a string of county scandals, but remains relatively unknown to rank-and-file voters.

The Democrat's campaign hopes the ads help change that and plans to spend even more on commercials before voters go to the polls.

Ivory - who has pledged to spend up to $400,000 of his own fortune on his write-in push - also plans to spend more on media.

His first ad is an introduction of Ivory, according to his campaign, and will be followed by spots describing how voters can actually write him in (probably with stickers) on the ballot.

In the first TV spot, an announcer touts Ivory's 4 "no's:" no salary, no county car, no county credit card and no campaign contributions. In Sunday's newspaper ad, he added: "There's a big yes in all of this, however: Yes to public service."

"The Write Choice," the newspaper ad proclaims in large letters.

Merrill Cook, a former GOP congressman who is running unaffiliated for county mayor, hasn't bought any TV time yet, but says he plans to make a push close to Nov. 2.

"We feel optimistic we'll get on television the last four to five days before the election," Cook said. "We do feel it's important we get out with our message."

Workman, the official Republican nominee who has been placed on paid leave and faces two felony counts of misuse of taxpayer money, bought $125,000 in TV spots after she was charged. But her standing in opinion polls has plunged. Her campaign has not bought any more airtime as of Monday afternoon.

tburr@sltrib.com