San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders is out with the first television advertisement in his reelection campaign, a hard hitting spot that aims to paint primary opponent and fellow Republican Steve Francis as a disingenuous political figure.

“The Steve Francis shell game,” an announcer says at the outset of the 30-second ad. “He promised conservatives he wouldn’t raise taxes, then promised massive new ones. Francis said he’d enforce tough immigration laws, then told Latinos just the opposite. Francis blamed unions fro city budget woes, but now cozies up to them for endorsements…We’ve had enough political shell games.”

Tom Shepard, a media consultant for the Sanders, said the campaign decided to air the ad after what he characterized as a media onslaught from the Francis side. “There has been an unprecedented level of negative advertising over the last 14 weeks,” he said. “We wanted to set the record straight.”

Charles Gallagher, the campaign manager for Francis, said the ad was a sign that Sanders lacked vision for the city. “Mayor Sanders has no re-election message, so he resorts to a negative and false ad. San Diegans want a Mayor with vision who is prepared to bring people from across the political spectrum together,” he said.

Shepard said the campaign had invested just under $200,000 in the ad, which was airing city-wide.

Sanders, who was a former chief in the San Diego Police Department, is facing off against Francis, a businessman, in a June 3 primary.