Putting weight behind his claims that he’s ready to compete in Iowa, Mitt Romney has launched his first television ad in Iowa today, just one month before the state’s caucus.

This is his third ad of the campaign cycle, the first two were bought in New Hampshire.

The 30-second ad, titled “The Right Answer – Iowa,” is similar in content to the ad Romney released Wednesday that will air beginning today in New Hampshire. The Iowa version features still photographs from his four events in Iowa, including last week’s endorsement from South Dakota Sen. John Thune at an event in Des Moines.

In the ad Romney follows a similar script as the New Hampshire version, talking about his plan to turn the economy around.

“I spent my life in the private sector. I’ve competed with companies around the world. I’ve learned something about how it is that economies grow,” Romney says in the ad. “We’re not going to balance the budget just by pretending that all they have to do is take out the waste. We’re going to have to cut spending.”

The Romney campaign, while asserting that they are taking Iowa seriously, have drawn scrutiny for Romney’s infrequent trips to the state — he’s been there just four times since launching his campaign in June. It’s a far different campaign in the state compared with 2008, where Romney spent tens of millions of dollars only to finish in a disappointing second-place in the 2008 Iowa caucuses to Arkansas Republican Mike Huckabee.

“In the closing weeks before the caucuses, we will continue to make the case that Mitt Romney is the best candidate to beat Barack Obama. Mitt Romney has always said that he would campaign and compete in Iowa,” Andrea Saul, the campaign’s spokeswoman, said in a statement.

“He looks forward to participating in the two upcoming Iowa debates,” said Saul. “Going on television is just another tool in getting Mitt Romney’s message out that Barack Obama has failed as a president, and that he is the best choice to grow the economy, cut spending and create jobs.”

It was not immediately clear how large this ad buy was or when it will air in Iowa.

Just a week ago, Romney spoke to a crowd at Nationwide Insurance in Des Moines, urging them to consider the importance of casting their votes in January.

“Iowa has the first and in some respects one of the most powerful voices as to who our nominee will be,” Romney said. “I’d like you to think about that an hopefully take eth occasion to actually go the caucus because the country counts on you.”

“It’s a responsibly that has been given to Iowa for some decades now and we need you to think about it with some seriousness,” he said.