Pearce goes nuclear — power, that is — in ad

Rep. Steve Pearce (R) released an ad Monday touting his support for nuclear energy and accusing his Senate campaign opponent, Rep. Tom Udall (D), of siding with extreme environmentalists on the issue.

{mosads}“It may not be politically correct, but nuclear energy is a sure way to America’s energy independence,” Pearce announces in the new 30-second spot.

“Tom Udall won’t stand up to the far-left environmentalists,” he adds. “I will.”

Pearce and Udall are both vying to replace retiring six-term Sen. Pete Domenici (R).

Pearce, an oilman, is hoping the new ad will help him gain ground on Udall, who has led consistently in the polls by big margins since Pearce triumphed in the GOP primary on June 3.

Recent Rasmussen and SurveyUSA polling has shown Udall with leads of between 25 and 30 points.

Udall spokeswoman Marissa Padilla said that Udall “knows that nuclear is part of our energy future and we must also increase domestic oil drilling and production, crack down on hedge fund speculation, dramatically increas[e] fuel efficiency standards for automobiles and mak[e] serious investments in alternative energy.”