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Democrats’ Senate Majority PAC Sinks $80 Million Into 9 Key States

Ads will hit airwaves on Labor Day and continue to election night

Sen. Dean Heller, R-Nev. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)
Sen. Dean Heller, R-Nev. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

The Democratic Senate Majority PAC announced Monday it will sink $80 million for TV ads into nine states with battleground Senate races this fall in an initial wave of spending for the 2018 midterms.

SMP will air ads beginning on Labor Day and continuing to election night on Nov. 7 in races for three Republican-held seats in Nevada, Arizona and Tennessee, and six Democratically controlled seats in Indiana, Florida, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota and West Virginia.

SMP President J.B. Poersch attributed the massive initial TV ad package to “record fundraising” this cycle.

As of April 30, the group had raised more than $50 million to spend on winning back Democratic control of the Senate, per OpenSecrets.org.

“Democrats’ chances in Senate races across the country continue improving because voters see that they are the candidates fighting for hardworking, middle class families,” Poersch said in a statement.

“We are implementing an aggressive media strategy to combat the Republicans’ baseless, partisan attacks and promote our candidates that are fighting for higher wages and lower health care premiums,” he said. “We look forward to building off our existing momentum with smart, tactical planning to ensure victory in November.”

Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales rates seven of the nine races SMP will target as Toss-ups.

Montana, rated Tilts Democratic, and Tennessee, rated Leans Republican, are the only states where Inside Elections has one party with a slight edge.

SMP said Monday its strategy will continue to evolve.

The group will “add reservations as the summer continues and make changes and additions as the battleground map develops,” according to a press release.

It will also fork over millions for a digital advertising campaign later this year.

The Senate Majority PAC operates independently of Senate campaigns. As a super PAC, the group can spend millions of dollars supporting Democratic senators and candidates. In 2016, it spent more than $91 million, according to Open Secrets.org.

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