JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- You wouldn't know it from the advertising, but Mike Weinstein and Aaron Bean actually have nice things to say about each other.
"He's a good person. He's from Fernandina Beach," said Weinstein.
"He's well respected, he's well known. He's accomplished a lot in Jacksonville," said Bean.
But neither can ignore that the contest for Florida Senate District 4 has turned nasty.
"What's happened is that you don't get to know me or my opponent. It's so muddy, there's so much garbage out there that no one gets to know us," said Weinstein.
The attack ads focus on both each man's time in Tallahassee.
Aaron Bean served in the Florida House until 2008, and Weinstein currently holds a seat.
For two men with a similar experience, neither can pinpoint why it got so negative.
"That's a great question. I am not a fan of negative advertising. If you look at the fine print, anything with the Bean campaign has done, if it says Bean approved, it's a positive message," said Bean.
So far, all of the negative ads have been put out by lobbying groups that support either candidate, but not the campaigns themselves.
Bean has the support of the leadership of the Republican Party.
Weinstein has picked up a number of local endorsements.
During his time in office, Weinstein has cast himself as an outsider, which he says is on purpose.
"You can be popular at home and do what your constituents want, or you can be popular in Tallahassee and try and work up your career. It's hard to do both," said Weinstein.
Bean argues he wants to work with the Republican leadership in Tallahassee to change it.
"I think people want to take their country back, and that starts with taking their state back," said Bean
First Coast News