The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee reserved $1.2 million in fall airtime in North Dakota today.

The buy caps the committee’s first wave of ad investments in five key states with top Senate races, including $4.5 million in Missouri, $3.2 million in Montana, $7.5 million in Virginia and $5.1 million in Ohio.

According to a source familiar with the buy, the North Dakota reservation is for Oct. 2 through Nov. 5. But committees can change the reservation at any time without financial penalty — and they often do just that in the final months before Election Day depending on the competitiveness of a race.

In any case, Senate Democrats strongly believe retiring Sen. Kent Conrad’s (D-N.D.) seat is competitive. The DSCC’s independent expenditure arm has already made two statewide ad buys in North Dakota, including one as recent as last week.

Recent public polling of the race shows former state Attorney General Heidi Heitkamp (D) and freshman Rep. Rick Berg (R) in a statistical tie. Roll Call rates this race as Leans Republican.

Last April, the National Republican Senatorial Committee placed a $25 million ad buy across six targeted states, including Missouri, Montana and Virginia.