Republican congressional candidates in Oklahoma spar over campaign ad about health care

In the ad, plumbing company owner Markwayne Mullin is shown saying, “I think a single-payer, single-pay system would be the best.”

The ad likens Mullin to President Barack Obama, who also is quoted in the 30-second spot endorsing single-payer, universal health care.

Mullin, of Westville, got 42 percent of the vote last week in the Republican primary for the 2nd Congressional District seat being vacated by Rep. Dan Boren; Faught, of Muskogee, got 23 percent. The two will meet in the Aug. 28 runoff primary.

An Aug. 28 runoff also will decide the Democratic nomination in the 2nd District race between Rob Wallace, of Fort Gibson, and Wayne Herriman, of Muskogee.

Mullin said Tuesday that the “quote from my opponent's ad is being used to misrepresent my position, and that is a shameful political trick only a career politician would use.”

Mullin said he has always opposed the health care law and got into the race for Congress in part “because of the damage ObamaCare will do to my business and other businesses.”

The ad began airing just days after the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the 2010 health care law. In fact, though, Faught's ad does not describe the law, which some opponents refer to as ObamaCare.