Topeka ? The Republican Party says that the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has launched a television ad to help incumbent U.S. Rep. Nancy Boyda after announcing earlier that it would stay out of the campaign.

During the summer Boyda, who faces Republican Lynn Jenkins in the 2nd District House race, made headlines when she said that she wanted the DCCC to “get the heck out of my race.”

The DCCC had said it intended to spend $1.2 million to help Boyda, a freshman legislator seeking re-election in the district that includes west Lawrence. But the DCCC then said it would comply with Boyda’s efforts to maintain independence from the national party.

On Tuesday, however, an ad by the DCCC started running to help Boyda, Republican officials said. The DCCC did not return a phone call seeking comment.

Republican Party officials on the national and state level said the DCCC’s move proves that Boyda is in trouble of losing the election.

“It’s ironic that they are running an ad claiming that Boyda keeps her word, when the very ad is a violation of her promise to run an independent campaign,” said Kansas Republican Party Executive Director Christian Morgan.

Thomas Seay, a spokesman for the Boyda campaign, said Boyda still believes the DCCC should stop.

“We haven’t seen any ad, but I can tell you that Representative Boyda believes this race should be run without the interference of out-of-state groups,” Seay said. “That includes the DCCC, and it includes the out-of-state groups that have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on her opponent’s campaign.”

Under campaign finance laws, outside independent committees can spend money on behalf of a candidate without their approval. In fact, under the law, it is illegal for the candidate and the group to coordinate. The Republican National Congressional Committee is spending money to help Jenkins.