Riggleman rolls out first major TV buy in Congressional race

RICHMOND — Republican Denver Riggleman on Wednesday will launch the first major TV ad buy in Virginia’s 5th Congressional District.

The upbeat 30-second spot introduces voters to Riggleman, a former Air Force intelligence officer and distillery owner who ran briefly for the GOP nomination for governor last year.

He faces former “60 Minutes” producer Leslie Cockburn for the seat being vacated by freshman Republican Rep. Thomas Garrett. Garrett announced in May that he is an alcoholic and would abandon his run for a second term so he could focus on recovery and his family.

“When my country called, I answered,” Riggleman says in the ad. “I enlisted in the Air Force at 22, climbed through the ranks, and became a commissioned intelligence officer. That is when my team helped plan the first bombing runs into Afghanistan after 9/11.

“Today I own two successful companies, including Silverback Distillery here in Nelson County. I know how to create jobs and keep our nation safe. With your vote, I’ll put my experience as a veteran and a businessman to work for you in Congress.”

Riggleman is shown in various locations, including a farm and a room where wooden Silverback kegs are stacked high. Photos of him in his Air Force uniform also appear.

The ads will run on broadcast TV in the Charlottesville and Lynchburg markets as well as on cable.

Cockburn created two 60-second ads that show her touring a rival distillery and talking about the effects that President Donald Trump’s trade war has had on businesses in the district, but those spots have not been widely aired, Cockburn spokeswoman Louise Bruce said.

Riggleman and Cockburn are competing to represent a largely rural district that stretches from the Washington exurbs to the North Carolina line.

Independent analysts rate the race as “leans Republican.”