The advertisement, an attack ad against incumbent Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow , opens with an Asian female pedaling a bicycle in what appears to be a rice paddy.

“Debbie spend so much American money, you borrow more and more from us,” the woman said in the commercial. “Your economy get very weak, ours get very good. We take your jobs. Thank you Debbie Spend-it-Now.”

The commercial then cuts to Hoekstra sitting in front of a fireplace.

“I think this race for U.S. Senate is between Debbie Spend-it-Now and Pete Spend-it-Not,” Hoekstra said in the commercial.

The advertisement ran in Michigan throughout the day, airing in Lansing markets during the MSU men’s basketball game Sunday afternoon before appearing in the Super Bowl that evening.

“I took it pretty offensively,” said Jeremiah Song, a member of the Asian Pacific American Student Organization who viewed the advertisement on Facebook on Monday. “It basically portrayed a stereotypical Asian that we Asian Americans are trying to break.”

Former East Lansing Mayor and 69th District Democratic candidate Sam Singh, who is of Indian-American descent, said in a statement he was offended by the 30-second spot.

“Instead of playing to racial stereotypes that divide us, we need leaders that understand Michigan’s role in the global economy,” Singh said in the statement.

The commercial is accompanied by a website address, www.debbiespenditnow.com, which features Chinese characters, fans and currency.

In a conference call Monday morning, Hoekstra stood by his campaign’s decision to run the commercial.

“We were aware of the possibility that (Democrats would) raise the race issue,” Hoekstra said. “If they can’t defend their record … they will try to come up with some other issue that diverts the public from their failed record.”

While some might have found it offensive, Bruce Vanden Bergh, an MSU professor who researches Super Bowl and campaign advertisements, said the attention won’t necessarily hurt Hoekstra’s chances in the race. Overall, the exposure and name recognition could play to his advantage.

“Right now he’s getting a lot of awareness,” Vanden Bergh said. “He got his name through, did he not?”

Although Vanden Bergh said political advertisements during the Super Bowl aren’t very common — candidates bear the risk of leaving a poor impression on consumers who are primarily looking to be entertained — Hoekstra could be looking to repeat the success of Gov. Rick Snyder’s Super Bowl commercial during the 2010 gubernatorial race, where he first branded himself as “one tough nerd.”

Strategic Perceptions Inc. — a political consulting firm that has worked on high-profile campaigns, including John McCain’s 2008 presidential bid — produced both Snyder’s and Hoekstra’s advertisements. Consultants at the firm could not be reached for comment Monday.