From Sean Cockerham in Anchorage --

Candidate for governor Ralph Samuels is calling for a halt to a T.V. ad featuring Gov. Sean Parnell that’s being aired by a non-profit advocating against domestic violence and sexual assault.

But a third candidate running in the Republican primary for governor, Bill Walker, says it is Samuels who needs to back off.

The Samuels campaign wrote a letter Friday to Parnell’s campaign manager, Michelle Toohey, complaining about the ad and saying it was pulled from broadcast on KTUU Channel 2 after Samuels raised his concerns. The Samuels campaign wants the ad scrubbed from any other stations as well.

“While this is an important message for Alaskans, using Governor Parnell, a declared candidate for election in a contested GOP primary, as a television spokesman raises serious questions about whether these ads constitute a political use of television airtime,” the Samuels campaign wrote in a letter Friday to Parnell’s campaign manager, Michelle Toohey.

The Samuels campaign is arguing that the ad could represent “an improper in-kind contribution” by the Alaska Network on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault to Parnell. Samuels’ campaign manager, Suzanne Armstrong, also cited the fact the group receives government grants and said it’s not allowed to advocate for a candidate as a nonprofit.

Armstrong said that, in order to avoid possible campaign finance violations, the Parnell campaign should reimburse the Alaska Network on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault $600 to cover the ads that have run so far on Channel 2.

There are four television ads in the campaign, which has a theme of “Alaska Men Choose Respect. The Parnell ad features the governor talking about how his grandfather was an abusive alcoholic, and how his father chose to be different and taught Parnell and his brother to respect others.

The Parnell campaign hasn’t responded to the criticism of the ad, although the governor’s office sent a statement saying that:

“Governor Parnell has committed to do everything in his power to prevent domestic violence and sexual assault. The governor will continue to do his job as governor – ensure public safety for all Alaskans.“

Bill Walker’s campaign manager weighed in today by saying the Alaska Network on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault has been doing good work educating the public.

“Mr. Samuels and his campaign appear to be more concerned with scoring political points than working to address the growing epidemic of violence against women in Alaska,” said Walker’s campaign manager, Taylor Bickford.