Ronchetti Campaign Smear Violates Reagan's "11th Commandment"

Above, Mark Ronchetti. Ronchetti campaign photo.

Back when Ronald Reagan ran for governor of California, he introduced the "11th Commandment", "Thou shall not speak ill of a fellow Republican."

Well, Mark Ronchetti's campaign manager has gone "scorched earth" against fellow gubernatorial candidate Rebecca Dow with a false ad accusing her or promoting a sexual predator. The ad was so blatantly dirty that it even caused another gubernatorial candidate, Jay Block, to come to her defense.

This violates Reagan's famous "11th Commandment".

According to the Piñon Post:

Mark Ronchetti, a Republican candidate for governor, recently sent out a mailer and aired a television ad making untrue claims about state Rep. Rebecca Dow (R-Truth or Consequences). The attacks from the Ronchetti campaign make claims regarding a lawsuit involving a sexual predator who assaulted children at a daycare, AppleTree Education Center, which Dow helped found.

In Ronchetti’s television ad and mailer, he claims Dow “promoted” the pedophile and then “bullied” the victim’s family. Despite Dow being cleared of all wrongdoing whatsoever in the case, Ronchetti, whose campaign is being run by scorched earth political consultant Jay McCleskey, appears to be weaponizing the child’s trauma for political gain. McCleskey is known for his “win at all costs” tactics, resulting in even lengthy litigation where he has paid hundreds of thousands to candidates he defamed.

Even fellow Republican candidate, Sandoval County Commissioner Jay Block, who is critical of Dow, spoke out against Ronchetti’s attack that went too far, despite his disagreements with the state representative. 

Unless Ronchetti repudiates this ad, I will refuse to back him in the general election should he win the GOP nomination.

Ronald Reagan would repudiate this kind of attack on a fellow Republican.

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