Minnesota for Marriage announced that it was airing two ads on Minnesota TV’s starting this week.

“We are certain our ads will help Minnesotans understand the importance of preserving marriage in our constitution,” said John Helmberger, Chairman of Minnesota for Marriage, in a statement. “Our ads ask an important question: ‘Who should decide the definition marriage.’ Like most Minnesotans, we think it should be the people, not judges or politicians. In fact, right now there is a court case pending in Hennepin County through which same-sex couples are asking judges to redefine marriage. Powerful legislators want to do the same thing. If they succeed, voters will have lost their say,” he said.

The first is titled “Good of Marriage”:

The second is titled “Threat to Marriage”

The Associated Press notes that the ad buy taps much of Minnesota for Marriage’s financial reserves:

Schubert said the Minnesota campaign hopes to air more ads. He wouldn’t say what future ads might include but that “we’re certainly going to be talking about what would happen if marriage were to be redefined.”

That could depend on the group’s fundraising in the five weeks to Election Day. The $175,000 ad buy is more than a third of Minnesota for Marriage’s $484,000 still in the bank as of Sept. 18, according to a state financial disclosure report. Leaders of Minnesota’s Catholic diocese, allied with Minnesota for Marriage, last week sent a letter to 400,000 Catholic households asking for donations to Minnesota for Marriage so it could broadcast more commercials.

The group continues to raise funds aggressively, Schubert said. They “poured everything we have into these initial ads and are working hard to raise the funds we need to finish the campaign,” he said.