NRCC Ad Buy Strategy Takes Shape
New details are emerging about the specific targets of the National Republican Congressional Committee’s TV ad buys.
Just days after news broke that the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee would reduce its ad buy in the media market covering Democratic Rep. Chris Carney’s 10th district in northeastern Pennsylvania, a party source confirmed the NRCC has decided to devote $595,000 to the district for ads that will run throughout the month of October.
Carney is facing former U.S. Attorney Tom Marino (R) in a contest the GOP is growing increasingly optimistic about. The district was not included on the NRCC’s original independent expenditure target list released last month.
Another district not included on the list was an open seat in New Hampshire. But the NRCC has laid down $1 million for air time in the 2nd district during the last three weeks of October. The DCCC has already signaled its intention to play in the contest, where Democrat Ann Kuster hopes to replace Rep. Paul Hodes (D).
Next door, in the battleground 1st district of Rep. Carol Shea-Porter, the NRCC has also laid down $1 million down for TV air time.
The NRCC is also going in big in two highly competitive seats in the Orlando media market. The committee is devoting $817,000 per race for air time against Democratic Reps. Alan Grayson and Suzanne Kosmas. Those ads will air throughout the month of October.
In Virginia, the NRCC is extending its ad buy against Rep. Rick Boucher (D) in the 9th district. The ads, which were set to begin tomorrow and run for a week, are now set to air through October 14. The committee has spent a total of $342,000 in the district.
Other reports out Thursday indicate that the NRCC has purchased $900,000 in air time in the Portland media market to aid state Rep. Jaime Herrera in her race against state Rep. Denny Heck (D). Those ads will run Sept. 24 to Oct 21. The committee has also laid down $300,000 in New Mexico’s 1st district to aide Jon Barela (R) against Rep. Martin Heinrich (D).
The Committee’s independent expenditure arm is running ads in 11 districts, with the Virginia ad and another ad in North Carolina’s 7th district set to begin tomorrow.
