Garcia releases new ad focusing on schools in mayoral race

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Jesus "Chuy" Garcia has released a new ad campaign to get a new message out to voters as he challenges Mayor Rahm Emanuel in the city's mayoral race.

Garcia's ad focuses on Emanuel's decision to close 50 public schools mostly in low-income black and Latino neighborhoods on the city's South and West Sides.

"This used to be a school until the Mayor shut it down," Garcia's ad says. "He took the money from these schools and gave it to elite private schools founded by his big campaign contributors."

"The ad is not accurate," Emanuel said.

The mayor denied giving money to "elite private schools" and said if Garcia meant donors who founded charter schools, he was not influenced by their campaign cash.

"I've consistently been clear about what it takes to move the city forward, even when supporters don't agree with the position," Emanuel said.

"We think that there's $700,000 from campaign contributors that went into his coffers," said Andrew Sharp, Garcia's campaign manager. "All that money came from charter school affiliated folks, either operators or founders."

At midday Wednesday, Emanuel's campaign posted a web ad using Garcia, saying that if elected mayor he would not re-open closed schools.

"We have a difficult financial situation. I haven't made that commitment," Emanuel says in the ad. "So you can either look back in a rear view mirror...or you can look forward."

Garcia's ad also hit the mayor's opposition to an elected school board.

"I will give control of your schools back to you," Garcia's ad says.

Emanuel said he's not concerned about possibly being vulnerable on the school closings issue.

"The way I looked at education policy since then, day one, I look forward to addressing the vulnerability of our children," Emanuel said.

The Garcia campaign would not say if red light cameras would be another issue on which it would question the mayor's policies. The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) has confirmed that it will help Garcia run commercials under a banner separate from the campaign.