Sacramento County residents have been seeing a lot of Republican Rep. Dan Lungren and Democrat Ami Bera lately.

The faces of the two rivals have filled television screens and mailboxes as they compete for a suburban Sacramento House seat.

The closeness of this year's 7th Congressional District race has fueled heavy spending by both candidates and outside groups, with super PACs and other political organizations spending more than $8 million on mostly negative advertising.

Here are some of the most common arguments made against the candidates in television, radio and mail pieces in recent weeks, with analysis by Torey Van Oot of The Bee Capitol Bureau.

AGAINST BERA

CLAIM: Ami Bera wants to raise the gas tax.

RATING: Somewhat misleading.

ANALYSIS: While Bera said during a 2010 telephone town hall that raising the gas tax to achieve a goal of reducing consumption was a concept "worth exploring," he has since vowed to oppose such proposals.

CLAIM: Ami Bera doesn't make his living as a doctor.

RATING: True

ANALYSIS: Bera touts his background as a physician on the campaign trail and in his ads. While he has a valid medical license and volunteers at a medical clinic associated with UC Davis Medical School, his income currently comes from stock holdings and rental properties he owns.

CLAIM: Ami Bera backs $525 billion in tax increases.

RATING: True

ANALYSIS: The figure is based on the Congressional Budget Office's estimates for revenues generated by the new health care law through 2019, a category that includes taxes, fees and penalties. Bera supports the law, though he does not think it did enough to cut costs of care.

CLAIM: Ami Bera supports raising taxes on the middle class.

RATING: Somewhat misleading.

ANALYSIS: Bera's opponents point to a report quoting Bera as saying the package of tax cuts enacted during President George W. Bush's first term should expire. Bera now says he supports repealing the tax cuts only for people making $1 million or more.

AGAINST LUNGREN

CLAIM: Dan Lungren works for Wall Street and big oil, not voters.

RATING: Somewhat misleading

ANALYSIS: Ads making these claims have relied on adding up years of campaign contributions from oil and financial interests and some votes that have been taken out of context. Assertions that Lungren does nothing for middle class voters are unsubstantiated.

CLAIM: Dan Lungren opposes abortion even in cases of rape or incest.

RATING: Somewhat misleading

ANALYSIS: Lungren supported that position while serving in Congress from 1979-1989. While he said during the 1998 gubernatorial race that he would counsel a woman against getting an abortion in those cases, he has since voted for abortion-related legislation that includes exceptions.

CLAIM: Dan Lungren voted against ensuring clean drinking water and protecting Sacramento waterways.

RATING: Somewhat misleading

ANALYSIS: The environmental groups making these claims point to two bills. They argue that a recent Republican-backed bill to shift some regulatory powers from the Environmental Protection Agency to the individual states could allow state officials to roll back standards. Other claims in the mailer are based on votes taken decades ago against extending environmental standards for drinking water.

CLAIM: Dan Lungren blocked the "No Budget No Pay Act."

RATING: True

ANALYSIS: A congressional committee chaired by Lungren has not granted requests from other members to hold a hearing on the legislation, which calls for withholding pay for members of Congress if a federal budget resolution is not approved by the deadline. Bera has made his pledge to support the legislation a central theme of his campaign

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