TRUMBULL COUNTY, OH - We've all seen political campaigns aggressively attacking the other side, especially leading up to Election Day on November 8. But, new mailers sent out to Ohioans against 64th District State Representative Candidate Vince Peterson are raising some eyebrows.

"It probably hurt my family more than it hurt me," Peterson said. "For me, personally, think this is a little bit too far."

Voters in the Buckeye State received campaign postcards in the mail accusing Peterson as a radical extremist. The mailers were funded by the Ohio Republican Party and show Peterson promoting defunding the police and supporting inflation-inducing policies.

"It was untruthful," Peterson told 21 News. "Talking to people, they're actually tired of that style of campaigning. Because it doesn't do anything one way or the other except continue to divide us."

"When I see things like this, it tells me you don't much have a platform if this is what you're campaigning on," said Mark Alberini, Chairman of The Trumbull County Democratic Party at a press conference about the mailers Tuesday.  

Alberini said the mailers are divisive, false, and contain race-baiting. "Voters deserve better than this," Alberini said. "Voters have had enough of the fear-mongering in this style of divisive campaigning."

Peterson has a degree in criminal justice and has worked as a Parole Officer for the state, working on the FDA Task Force and Special Response Team. His father and several relatives also have careers in law enforcement.

"There are multiple things to point to this being a smear to my name and a smear to my integrity," Peterson said. 

A full statement from Fraternal Order of Police of Ohio President Gary Wolskes stated, "The Fraternal Order of Police of Ohio have received complaints about the mailers being sent to voters in the 64th House District of Ohio depicting FOP endorsed candidate Vince Peterson as being as a "radical extremist" who is "soft on crime." We want voters to know the facts. Vince has actually served as a law enforcement officer and has risked his safety to keep his community safe. He knows what it is like to do the job of protecting and serving. We do not make endorsements of political candidates lightly. We make endorsements for candidates who understand that law enforcement officers are part of the solution, not the problem in our communities. We endorsed Vince Peterson! We stand by our endorsement of Vince Peterson and urge all voters in the 64th House District to disregard these mailers that are trying to scare people and to vote on the facts."

"I just continue to believe that we have to continue to run hard and talk to people," Peterson said. "If they want to continue to do this, we're going to continue to run the type of race I can be proud of at the end of this."

Peterson's opponent, Nick Santucci told 21 News he was not a part of creating or sending out the mailers.

In a full statement to 21 News on Tuesday, Santucci wrote, "This is a silly attempt by the local Democratic Party to distract from the fact that their agenda is failing working people, and they're losing this race. I've been getting attacked by Democrats in Columbus too, but I'm not wasting time and calling press conferences as last-minute acts of desperation. People in the Valley are struggling to afford basic necessities, and the voters deserve a State Representative who can rise above petty politics and deliver results. I'm not sending out any negative mailers, my campaign is focused on the issues that actually matter to working people in our district, like crime, inflation, and bringing new jobs to our community. As I have from the start of the campaign, I remain focused on helping the people of the Valley and working to make Trumbull County a better place to raise a family."