Mayoral candidate Brian Bahr will be out of the country on Election Day.

Bahr and his wife, Heather, who have five children, are traveling to China on Friday to finalize the adoption of two girls, ages 5 and 9.

The couple, who has been going through the adoption process since 2009, won’t be back until mid-April.

“I consider traveling to China to pick up our daughters and to finalize the adoption as the most important thing I could be doing right now, regardless of whether there are political consequences,” Brian Bahr said in a statement.

”After so many months of waiting, we’re grateful to finally receive travel approval,” he said. “We are excited to meet our daughters, to embrace them, and to bring them home!”

In the statement, the campaign predicts Bahr will finish in the top two on Election Day.

The couple will be back in mid-April “in time to finish the runoff election,” according to the statement.

“We ask all our fine supporters to rally around the bold vision and practical plan that Brian has been talking about for over eight months,” campaign manager Kyle Fisk said in the statement.

“Colorado Springs needs a mayor who puts first things first and who will place core values before politics,” he said. “This is a real-life example of why Colorado Springs would be fortunate to have a principled leader like Brian Bahr as our next Mayor.”

Brian Bahr issued an open letter to Springs residents to explain the trip to China.

“My core convictions lead me to believe that placing my family first by traveling to China at this time is the right thing to do,” he wrote. “If you agree that values and principles must come before politics, I ask for your support and your vote this election.  As mayor, you can trust me to prioritize and do the right thing, even when it isn’t easy.”

Pat Boone, a 1950s American icon and social conservative, is wading into local politics.

Boone recorded a robo call for mayoral candidate Brian Bahr. Click here for the message.

“Hello, my friend. This is Pat Boone. Yeah, that Pat Boone, the ‘Love Letters In The Sand Guy,’” Boone says in the recorded message.

“I’m still singing at concerts, but today, I’m singing the praises of Brian Bahr,” he says.

“Like you, I love Colorado Springs, and I know our city needs a strong mayor like Brian Bahr, who will stand for a strong economy, for bold competition, investing in our future and a return to commonsense conservative principles,” he says.

“Brian Bahr has a visioin for Colorado Springs where good jobs are plentiful, where city services are exceptional and where we invest in our youth for a bright future,” he says.

Boone encourages voters to support Bahr and contributed to his campaign and then “cast your vote” for Bahr when they get their ballot in the mail.

“God bless you,” he says.

Kyle Fisk, Bahr’s campaign manager, said the Bahr campaign is “honored” to have Boone’s support.

“As a business owner and social conservative, Mr. Boone recognized Brian Bahr and his bold vision and practical plan as the best choice for Mayor of Colorado Springs,” he said in an e-mail.

With 31 mayoral and City Council candidates on the ballot in April, voters can’t blame the candidates for trying something different to draw attention to themselves.

Case in point: A press release today from Brian Bahr’s mayoral campaign.

“A representative of the Brian Bahr for Mayor campaign was strolling past a telephone booth earlier this week and to her surprise, saw what appeared to be Clark Kent ducking inside and someone in a cape leaving almost immediately. Our intrepid staffer snapped a quick shot with her cell phone … but was unable to get a clear view,” the release states.

The campaign speculated whether Superman may be in Colorado Springs to participate in activity related to the new ‘strong mayor’ form of government, the release states.

“When the taxpayers of Colorado Springs asked for a ‘strong mayor,’ I’m guessing that Superman wasn’t what they had in mind!” Bahr is quoted as saying. “I do think the citizens want a mayor who isn’t afraid to do the heavy lifting. I envision Colorado Springs as a world-class city with a strong economy, plenty of good jobs, and effecient (sic) city services. A community where we invest in our youth for an even brighter future.”

So, exactly what was the point of the press release?

“In completely unrelated campaign news,” the release states, “the Bahr campaign TV commercials will be on air soon with sneak peek previews available via www.springsmayor.com TODAY at 2:00 PM.”

The ad will be “eye-catching, different, unique, compelling and (the most) articulate political ad of the mayoral race,” said Kyle Fisk, Bahr’s campaign spokesman.

“I can promise you this: Our ad is different,” he said.

Mayoral candidate Brian Bahr, who has five kids between the ages of 7 and 14, plans to be a father again.

Bahr and his wife, Heather, are in the process of adopting a little girl from China.

“They saw an opportunity to bless a little girl from another country and give her an opportunity that she might not otherwise have, to grow up in a family that loves her and cares for her and live in a great country like America,” campaign manager Kyle Fisk said.

“I think they saw it as an opportunity to give back because of the blessings that they have in their life,” he added.

Fisk said Brian and Heather Bahr, who have been married nearly 17 years, “have been in the midst of the paperwork for sometime” and hope to fly to China this year “to pick up their little girl.”

For the record: The Bahr campaign didn’t send out a news release about the adoption. Rather, an enterprising reporter found out about it on Bahr’s Facebook page.

Fisk said Bahr will be able to juggle the demands of being a father and mayor if elected.

“Brian has a track record of being in high-demanding positions, both in working for himself and others and building a good team around him and casting vision,” he said.

“To be mayor, you don’t have to sacrifice your family or your other priorities to do the job with excellence, and I think Brian has demonstrated an ability to do that,” he said.

Brian Bahr is taking his mayoral campaign to the air.

Bahr launched a nine-station radio advertising blitz today to introduce himself to voters.

In the 60-second ad, Bahr, the president of Challenger Homes, identifies himself as a family man and small business owner who has the experience to fix a “broken” City Hall.

“Our city has dropped the ball on the basics,” he says.

“If City Hall can get the basics right, then I trust our citizens to take care of the rest.”

Bahr, who uses radio advertising for his homebuilding business, has also been campaigning on the radio for months. His campaign has been airing the “Daily Radio Minute with Brian Bahr” on multiple radio stations every weekday morning.

“While many campaigns will inundate voters with negative ads, rhetoric, robo calls, and direct mail the month before Election Day, Brian Bahr has proactively been talking with the citizens about what matters to them since last summer,” Kyle Fisk, Bahr’s campaign manager, said today in a news release.

“Since announcing his candidacy, he has met with hundreds of voters and community leaders. This radio campaign now begins a concentrated effort to speak to thousands of voters through radio and other mediums,” Fisk said.

In a prepared statement, Bahr said he’s going to present an “optimistic vision” for Colorado Springs rather than attack his opponents.

“We’re willing to spend the time and resources to open a dialogue with citizens, to present our positive message about the future of Colorado Springs and to discuss their needs,” Bahr said in the statement. “We’ve been doing it since last August, and we’ll continue to do it through Election Day and beyond.”