Kay Barnes spent the last 366 days traveling the 6th Congressional District and gauging the mood of its residents. She claims one thing is missing from her discoveries.

“I have not encountered a single person who has said that he or she is better off now than seven or eight years ago,” the Democrat said. “Certainly, the problems seem to have increased.”

That’s the ongoing mantra of the Barnes campaign, which began on a St. Joseph lawn a year ago Wednesday. She wants to unseat four-term incumbent Sam Graves, a Tarkio Republican.

The former Kansas City mayor planned to mark the anniversary with campaign workers and volunteers. She hoped a North Kansas City rally Wednesday night would build momentum in a race already showing the stains of mudslinging.

Last week, six months before the election, the Graves campaign unveiled a television ad showing a dancing trio, an admonition of same-sex marriage and a claim that Ms. Barnes celebrates “San Francisco-style values.”

On Tuesday, the Barnes campaign counterpunched with a commercial showing the dancing trio, condemning the “shameful Graves attack ad” and closing with the tag: “Sam Graves. A pathetic record. A pathetic campaign.”

Both ads cite campaign donations the other side has taken. The Graves ad predated Ms. Barnes’ trip to San Francisco on Monday for a fundraiser hosted by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The Barnes ad points to money the incumbent has taken from oil and gas companies during a time of rising energy prices.

“I think Sam Graves is doing everything he can to distract people from the real issues,” Ms. Barnes said Wednesday.

Jason Klindt, a spokesman for the Graves campaign, countered that the Democrat is an “unapologetic liberal” looking for work carrying “Nancy Pelosi’s bottled water.”

He added, “The only thing Kay has done in the past year is make it very clear that she will represent someone else’s values in Washington, D.C.”

The challenger, according to her campaign, has made more than 100 visits to communities in the 26-county district. She said people most often talk to her about gas prices, the economy, lack of job opportunities, health care and the war in Iraq.

“We will certainly hold Sam Graves accountable for his record,” Ms. Barnes said.

Ken Newton can be reached

at kenn@npgco.com.