At a press conference David Lucas held to talk about his endorsement for State Senator of District 26, he showed a Pro-Paris negative flier that accused him of being asleep on the job.

The negative ad has a picture of Lucas yawning, claiming that it was a typical day for him. The flier went on to say that Lucas allowed the Georgia Music Hall to close and the Brown Williamson tobacco to leave town.

Lucas said this wasn't true and accused Paris of sleep in on the job.

"I have been accused of helping the Music Hall of Fame leave Georgia when it was David Lucas and the rest of us who brought halls of fame to Macon and tried my best to keep Brown and Williamson from leaving Macon," said Lucas.

"But the senator elect was asleep on the job when they did the consolidation bill that she could not explain when she signed the board of education bill that Allen Peake redrew the lines that she cannot explain, and we have a special election. And of course she was asleep at the wheel when she helped Allen Peake redraw the districts that are majority black to majority white Republican districts. If that's not asleep at the wheel I don't know what is."

The group that sent the mailer is called Georgia Forward. State Ethics Commission records said the treasurer of Georgia Forward is Atlanta attorney Bryan Tyson.

Tyson said he's a former aide to Republican congressman Lynn Westmoreland and to the Georgia Republican House caucus.

On Thursday, he said his law firm formed the group two weeks ago at the request of clients, but he would not name them or say how it's funded.

Lucas also announced endorsements from several local political figures, including Macon City Council President James Timley and several other council members, including his wife Elaine Lucas, and Gerald Harvey who ran against State Representative Nikki Randall.

13WMAZ talked to State Senator Miriam Paris who said that her campaign didn't have anything to do with the flier and that they don't know anyone with Georgia Forward.

"Our campaign has been tottally positive, positive in dealing with what the issues are. We have had no negative TV ads, no negative radio ads as well as we haven't even mentioned our opponents name so that's signature for my campaign," said Paris.
"I've run for office four times now and that is what we do, we run a positive campaign we don't have to resort to those kind of issues."

When asked her about Lucas's comment about her working with Republicans she said because Georgia Democrats are in the minority, they have to work with Republicans.

"We are certainly working under a Republican led administration and legislature, so it's important for us to work with those that's in power now if the district is going to get any of the necessities," said Paris. "Any of the resources that we need so, I don't think the people of District 26 will find any problems with me working on their behalf."