Campaign mailers bear Washington 'stench'

SANTA ANA, Calif., Oct. 27 (UPI) -- A Republican running against a Democratic California representative sent out a flier with a scratch-and-sniff "stench of Washington."

Van Tran, who is running against Rep. Loretta Sanchez, sent out a flier to central Orange County voters with the scratch-and-sniff section labeled, "something smells rotten about Loretta," The Orange County Register reported Wednesday.

"It's the stench of Washington," the mailer says.

George Andrews, Tran's campaign manager, said the scratch-and-sniff section is supposed to smell like trash.

Caroline Hogan, a spokeswoman for Sanchez, dismissed the mailer as a cheap gimmick.

"Talk about bad taste. While our opponent is busy spamming voters with ill-smelling mailers, Rep. Sanchez is talking about the issues that matter to Orange County families," Hogan said.