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Santa Fe parent Dave Pittis was happy for his fifth-grade daughter when she told him she had been filmed at Turquoise Trail Charter School.

But his pleasure quickly faded when he saw his child on television starring in a political ad for state Land Commissioner Pat Lyons.

"I didn't understand how he could put my daughter in an ad so prominently and not even call me," Pittis said.

In the ad, his daughter Katarina is shown sitting at a computer with Lyons, the incumbent Republican facing re-election this fall.

Pittis, who said he doesn't support Lyons, said the ad makes it seem like Lyons is his daughter's teacher.

While Pittis has signed general waivers for his child to be filmed or photographed at school, he said he doesn't recall being asked for permission for his daughter to be in a campaign ad.

And he said it was his understanding the ad would be to promote the school. The Land Office's primary goal is to manage state lands for a profit to help fund education.

Land Office spokeswoman Kristin Haase said she specifically told the school's principal that the ad was for the campaign.

"I'm positive I said it was a campaign ad because I knew it could create a problem if they weren't fully aware," she said.

After receiving a call from Pittis, Haase said she immediately asked that the ad be edited and Pittis' daughter was taken out.

She said a new version of the ad started airing this morning, and will be on TV until Sunday.

Haase also said she's not sure if the school sent waivers to parents specifically asking if their children could appear in the ad.

A call to the Turquoise Trail principal this morning was not immediately returned.

Lyons faces Democrat Jim Baca in the Nov. 7 election.