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RALEIGH — Local Republicans say a racially charged ad by their state party will hinder their efforts to recruit African American voters and spends money that could be better used elsewhere.

"My concern is that in Guilford County it takes unaffiliated and Democratic voters to win elections, and I don't think this ad does anything to further that cause," said Bill Wright , chairman of the Guilford County Republican Party. "It hurts us in doing that and it hurts us in appeal to the black community."

The ad shows controversial preacher the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, no relation, delivering a sermon in which he appears to condemn America. Wright was the preacher at a church presidential candidate Barack Obama attended in Chicago.

Both leading Democrats running for governor — Lt. Gov. Bev Perdue and Treasurer Richard Moore — have endorsed Obama. The ad calls Obama

"too extreme for North Carolina" and says voters should reject Moore and Perdue because of their affiliation.

The ad, due to begin airing on Monday, has drawn widespread condemnation. The Rev. William Barber, state NAACP president, said Friday, "It's a fundamentally race-baiting ad. And it inserts racist sentiments."

Republican presidential candidate John McCain and senior Republican leaders have asked the party not to run the ad. State party officials have been defiant, encouraged by some rank-and-file Republicans as well as national media figures such as Rush Limbaugh.

But the races for president and governor are not the only contests on the ballot this year.

Local party chairmen are trying to organize candidates running for local county commissioner seats and positions in the state legislature.

Even a modest ad buy costs upwards of $100,000 to reach voters across the state over the course of a week.

"Whatever that amount is, to me, that's money that could make or break a lot of our House or Senate candidates," Wright said.

Olga Morgan Wright , an African American Republican who is running against Democratic Rep. Alma Adams , said the ad hurts her already difficult task of getting black voters to consider voting Republican.

"This will be something that people will remember in my community and equate Republicans with everything wrong and racist," said Morgan Wright, who is no relation to the Rev. Wright or Bill Wright.

A spokesman for the Republican Party did not return phone calls seeking comment on Guilford County officials' statements Friday. But state GOP spokesman Brent Woodcox told the Associated Press that response to the ad has been positive.

"(Donations) have been pouring in so quickly we can't keep up with them," Woodcox said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Contact Mark Binker at (919) 832-5549 or mark.binker@news-record.com