The political ad begins with classical music playing, then a picture of Republican U.S. Rep. John Sullivan.

A voiceover says, "Career politician. Member of an exclusive country club."

Flash to a shot of Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa.

The kicker: "John Sullivan: the country club congressman."

So goes the recent television ad by Tulsa businesswoman Georgianna Oliver. She's a conservative Democrat and, until recently, virtual unknown, whose campaign is looking to paint Sullivan as someone who's been in office too long and votes with his party 95 percent of the time.

Sullivan accuses her of "trying to buy a seat in Congress." He bristles at the accusation he's a career politician and says public service has always been a part of his life.

The 1st Congressional District in northeastern Oklahoma could be the most competitive U.S. House race in the state this year, as Democrat Dan Boren and Republicans Frank Lucas, Mary Fallin and Tom Cole are all figured to win re-election.

The battle between Sullivan and Oliver heated up last week over the $700 billion financial industry bailout, which failed in the House but was salvaged in the Senate and sent back to the House, which approved it Friday.

Oliver's largely self-funded campaign claims she would have voted for the bailout plan and characterized Sullivan as flip-flopping on his position: first voting "no," switching to "yes," then switching back to "no" for the initial vote. Sullivan ultimately voted for the proposal Friday, saying it had been improved.

Sullivan is a fourth-generation Oklahoman who's been in Congress six years. He's raised more than $759,000, and top donors to his campaign include the oil and gas industry, health professionals, electric utilities and commercial banks.

His recent accomplishments include securing a permanent U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations office in Tulsa.

Sullivan has fought for years to get immigration agents assigned here, and made waves last year when he criticized city leaders for not doing enough to enforce immigration laws.

He also highlights a record of voting for lower taxes and fighting to bring mental health parity to Oklahoma and the nation.

As for Oliver's "country club" knock, Sullivan said his camp is taking "the high road." He says internal polling data suggest an "extremely high" approval rating.

"It's a free country, so my opponent can run any campaign she wants," he said. "I don't know anything about her. I've never even met her. I've seen her picture, but I wouldn't even know her if she came up to me, with all due respect."

Oliver, an Oklahoma State University graduate who founded a technology consulting firm in 2000, says she's better equipped as an entrepreneur to understand how business works. Of the roughly $500,000 her campaign has raised so far, about $400,000 of it is her own money, according to her campaign manager.

Her platform includes pledges never to accept a pay increase, voting for veterans and the military and not serving more than six years in Congress.

Although Sullivan said he is taking nothing for granted in this race, Oliver believes her opponent isn't counting on the possibility that "Republicans want change so much, they would actually be willing to vote for a Democrat" this election cycle.

On the Net:

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