The race for insurance commissioner got heated on Thursday when the Democratic-NPL party released an ad criticizing GOP candidate Adam Hamm for a public service announcement that ran in August.

The ad, which was produced by the Washington-based Squier, Knapp and Dunn, addresses the controversy surrounding Hamm's August PSA on prescription drugs.

"Can North Dakota trust Adam Hamm?" the advertisement asks. "Hamm took taxpayer money meant to help seniors with their prescription drugs and spent $30,000 on ads helping his campaign."

The ad goes on to cite a Fargo Forum editorial critical of Hamm's PSA.

In a Thursday press statement, Hamm called it, "one of the nastiest political ads North Dakota elections have ever seen."

"The claims in the ad are blatantly false," he said in his press statement.

Hamm said his opponent Jasper Schneider is funneling out-of-state money to fund the negative ad.

Democratic-NPL executive director Jamie Selzler said the Schneider campaign did not fund it.

"I wouldn't call it a negative commercial other than his record is negative," Schneider said on Thursday. "It's holding him to his record."

Stolen Sand signs

GOP House candidate Duane Sand has filed a police report after six of his campaign signs were vandalized and two others stolen Wednesday night.

Sand's campaign manager Matt Dabrowski said some were uprooted from the ground and others knocked over. The ties holding some of the larger signs up appeared to be cut.

Bismarck police are still investigating.

More debates

Gubernatorial candidate Tim Mathern said Thursday that he wants to debate his Republican opponent Gov. John Hoeven once a week until the election.

"The citizens of this state should have every opportunity to hear the differences between the two men running for governor," Mathern said in a press statement.

The Hoeven campaign denied the request, adding the governor has already participated in three media-sponsored debates that will air across the state up until the election.

Record voters possible

With 25 days left until Nov. 4, nearly 10,000 North Dakotans have already voted by absentee ballot as of Thursday, Secretary of State Al Jaeger said.

Jaeger added the state is on track to surpass the number of absentee ballots cast in 2004 this election.

Since they became available on Sept. 26, 5,473 absentee ballots have been cast with an additional 4,111 ballots in the 21 vote-by-mail counties.

About 43,000 absentee ballots were cast in the 2004 election, making up about 16 percent of the total vote. In that same election about 7,844 ballots were cast in those 21 vote-by-mail counties.

Farm Bureau endorses three

The North Dakota Farm Bureau announced Thursday that it is endorsing John Hoeven for governor, Adam Hamm for insurance commissioner and Brian Kalk for public service commissioner.

All three are Republicans.

"The endorsements for Hamm and Hoeven are based on a proven track record of excellent leadership in their respective offices. Both of these individuals have displayed the dedication and vision North Dakota needs in government," said Eric Aasmundstad, president of the farm bureau.

(Reach reporter Brian Duggan at 223-8482 or brian.duggan@bismarcktribune.com)