Arizona: NRCC Makes Ad Buy to Target Ron Barber

National Republicans are buying ad time to boost Martha McSally in an Arizona race that is currently not seen as that competitive. (Douglas Graham/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

The National Republican Congressional Campaign is going up on TV in Arizona’s 2nd district, making a play for the seat Rep. Ron Barber (D) won in a special election earlier this year.

The NRCC has placed a six-figure buy in the Tucson media market in support of retired Air Force Col. Martha McSally (R), according to several sources who monitor media buys. The broadcast buy is $255,000 and will last from October 5-18.

This news comes hours after the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee announced it was confident enough in the race to pull a week’s worth of advertising in Tucson and a day after House Majority PAC, a super PAC that supports Democratic House candidates, went into the market.

The House Majority PAC spot was a negative spot that links McSally to Wall Street. The NRCC ad is expected to be a negative portrayal of the incumbent. Barber has already been through the ringer with negative ads from the special election race, so it will be interesting to see how, or whether,  these numbers move over the next couple of weeks. Full story

Washington: Suzan DelBene and John Koster Fight Over Women

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee launched an ad buy targeting GOP nominee John Koster. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

As in many races around the country, female voters are being fought over in Washington state’s 1st district, where the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee this week launched a $250,000 ad buy targeting GOP nominee John Koster’s strong opposition to abortion.

Koster “wanted to eliminate funding for Planned Parenthood entirely,” warns a lab-coated female doctor identified as “Dr. Susan Harvey” in the DCCC ad, which hit the airwaves Oct. 2. “He’d make all forms of abortion illegal, including cases of incest and rape, even when the mother’s life is in danger.”

The ad, which concludes, “John Koster’s just too extreme for me,” comes on the heels of a similar $380,000 ad run by House Majority PAC, a pro-Democrat super PAC. Launched on Sept. 28, the House Majority PAC ad features wistful images of women and a voice-over that spotlights Koster’s abortion stance and assails him for supporting “an agenda so radical it’s hard to believe.” Full story

Colorado: Poll Shows Narrow Lead for Scott Tipton

A new poll shows Democratic challenger Sal Pace in a close race with Rep. Scott Tipton (R) in Colorado’s 3rd district, according to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

The poll, conducted by the Democratic firm Grove Insight, showed Tipton leading with 42 percent, while Pace was at 39 percent. Full story

DCCC Cancels Three Weeks of Buys in Seats It Feels Are Safe

House Democrats have canceled advertisement buys in three House races where the party’s nominee is on a clear path to victory.

In Arizona’s 2nd district, New Mexico’s 1st district and Florida’s 26th district, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee cut its weeklong reservation starting Oct. 18, according to a Democratic source with firsthand knowledge of the changes.

Campaign committees continue to shuffle funds among House races, often moving resources away from hopeless campaigns to more competitive ones in the weeks leading up to Election Day. But committee officials argue these cancellations target races where they are sure the Democrat will prevail:

• In Arizona’s 2nd district, the DCCC canceled $85,000 worth of  Tucson broadcast television. Rep. Ron Barber (D) faces retired Air Force Col. Martha McSally (R) in this district, which Roll Call rates as Likely Democratic.
• In New Mexico’s 1st district, the DCCC canceled $135,000 worth of Albuquerque broadcast television. Bernalillo County Commissioner Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) and former state Rep. Janice Arnold-Jones (R) are vying for this open seat, which Roll Call rates as Safe Democratic.
• In Florida’s 26th district, the DCCC canceled $280,000 worth of Miami broadcast television. Rep. David Rivera (R) is reportedly under federal investigation (although the Congressman denies any wrongdoing). Polls show the Republican trailing his opponent, former Miami-Dade Democratic Party Chairman Joe Garcia (D). Roll Call rates this race as Leans Democratic.

The National Republican Congressional Committee had not reserved any airtime for these three House races.

Earlier this week, the DCCC trimmed $260,000 in ad time in another safe seat: Rep. Tim Walz’s district. Roll Call rates this race as Safe Democratic.

Florida: NRCC Lends a Hand to Steve Southerland

The National Republican Congressional Committee’s independent expenditure arm will soon begin airing ads in Florida’s 2nd district, the Panhandle seat of freshman Republican Rep. Steve Southerland.

The Democratic nominee in the district is former state Sen. Al Lawson, a folksy and  affable candidate who beat the party’s choice in the primary. Lawson was originally written off but appears poised to at least have a shot — if still quite long — at coming to Congress.

The NRCC has bought about $85,000 of airtime on broadcast television in the Panama City media market and about $75,000 on broadcast television in the Tallahassee media market from Oct. 5-18. Full story

Florida: DCCC Cancels Buy Against Allen West

(Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has cut its advertising in Florida’s 18th district, the home of a fiercely competitive race between Rep. Allen West (R) and Democrat Patrick Murphy.

The independent expenditure arm of the DCCC had originally reserved about $96,000 in the West Palm Beach media market from Oct. 16-22. That reservation has now been canceled, a Democratic source familiar with the buys told Roll Call today.

The move comes after House Majority PAC, the Democratic-aligned third-party group, boosted its presence in the district from about $1 million to about $1.5 million.

Full story

North Carolina: DCCC Cancels Yet Another Week of Ads for Larry Kissell

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee hasn't aired any TV ads to help boost vulnerable Rep. Larry Kissell in North Carolina. (Douglas Graham/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

It looks more and more like Nov. 6 will be curtains for North Carolina Democratic Rep. Larry Kissell.

Today the independent expenditure arm of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee canceled a third week of advertising in Kissell’s 8th district. Roll Call has learned that more than $180,000 worth of advertising in the Charlotte media market from Oct. 16-22 was canceled by the DCCC.

The move is as clear a sign as any that national Democrats, who have not yet aired any TV advertisements for the vulnerable incumbent, no longer see the race as winnable.

Kissell faces Republican Richard Hudson, a former aide on Capitol Hill, on the ballot next month. The 8th district was redrawn to be substantially more Republican during redistricting, which was controlled by the GOP-majority state Legislature. Full story

DCCC Moving TV Resources to More Competitive Races

House Democrats shifted resources away from six races as the party continues to move money to more promising targets.

According to two sources who monitor ad buys, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee cut its reservations in the following GOP-leaning House districts during the week of Oct. 9:

• Florida’s 16th district, where the DCCC originally reserved $229,800 in the Tampa market. Roll Call rates this race as Leans Republican.
• Indiana’s 2nd district, where the DCCC originally booked $56,300 in the South Bend market. Roll Call rates this race as Leans Republican.
• North Dakota’s at-large open seat, where the DCCC originally reserved $76,600 in the Fargo market. Roll Call rates this race as Likely Republican.
• Ohio’s 10th district, where the DCCC originally reserved $66,100 in the Dayton market. This is the committee’s second cancellation in this market in as many weeks. Roll Call rates this race as Safe Republican.
• Virginia’s 2nd district, where the DCCC originally reserved $77,700 in the Norfolk market. Roll Call rates this race as Leans Republican.
• The DCCC trimmed — but did not cancel — in Pennsylvania’s 12th district, where Rep. Mark Critz (D) is in a tough race. The committee plans to continue with $160,000 worth of advertisements that week. Roll Call rates this race as a Tossup. Full story

Florida: DCCC Cancels Week of Airtime in Allen West Race

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee canceled a week of airtime in Rep. Allen West’s (R-Fla.) district starting Oct. 9, according to multiple sources tracking the buy.

Democrats cite a substantial House Majority PAC buy — $1 million over a few weeks including Oct. 9 — as the reason they pulled their reservation in the West Palm Beach market that week.

It’s almost never a good sign when a committee cuts airtime for a candidate. The cancellation comes on the heels of the DCCC’s move to cancel a second weeklong buy for Rep. Larry Kissell’s (D-N.C.) tough re-election bid.

But unlike Kissell’s bid, the Florida race remains competitive — at least compared with other Democratic pickup opportunities (Roll Call rates it as Leans Republican). And the DCCC has given no other indication that it’s ready to give up on the race, either. Full story

Wisconsin: SEIU Backs Off 8th District

The Service Employees International Union has canceled a previously scheduled television ad buy in support of businessman Jamie Wall’s (D) challenge of Rep. Reid Ribble (R).

Roll Call has learned from a source monitoring Wisconsin advertising markets that the union will no longer follow through with its approximately $130,000 reservation in the Green Bay media market, which covers the 8th district. But the same source noted that the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is still scheduled to go on television in Green Bay on Oct. 9.

The House Majority PAC, a Democratic super PAC, had previously canceled a $130,000 television ad-buy reservation in mid-September.

Full story

Iowa: New DCCC Poll Shows Leonard Boswell, Tom Latham Tied

A new poll out today showed Rep. Leonard Boswell (above) tied with Rep. Tom Latham in the race for Iowa's 3rd district. (Tom Williams CQ/Roll Call File Photo)

A new Democratic poll shows Reps. Leonard Boswell (D) and Tom Latham (R) tied in their race for Iowa’s redrawn 3rd district.

Both Members earned 45 percent in the survey paid for by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and released today.

Earlier this cycle, local operatives wrote Boswell off because of Latham’s hefty cash advantage. But the race has become increasingly competitive in recent months, much like every other House race in the Hawkeye State.

The poll had the race as a dead heat, even though respondents viewed Latham in a more positive light. Thirty-nine percent viewed Latham favorably, while only 34 percent viewed Boswell favorably.

In the same poll, President Barack Obama leads GOP nominee Mitt Romney, 52 percent to 45 percent.

The Benenson Strategy Group poll interviewed 400 likely voters in the district from Sept. 18- 20. The margin of error was 4.9 percent.

Roll Call rates this race as Leans Republican.

North Carolina: DCCC Cancels Another Week of Ads for Larry Kissell

Rep. Larry Kissell is considered one of the most vulnerable Democrats in the House. (Douglas Graham/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

There was bad news today for North Carolina Rep. Larry Kissell (D) out of Washington, D.C.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee canceled a second week of advertising in Kissell’s 8th district. Roll Call has learned that the DCCC’s independent expenditure arm canceled a reservation for advertising in the Charlotte media market from Oct. 9-15. This comes after the DCCC canceled a reservation from Oct. 2-8, as first reported by Roll Call.

The DCCC, which has not yet advertised for Kissell in the district, has reservations for the remainder of the cycle in the district — a significant sum. But those buys could be canceled, too. The National Republican Congressional Committee has been on the air advertising against Kissell since Sept. 7. Full story

Daily Ad Track

The biggest news in political ads over the weekend was a barrage of spots the National Republican Congressional Committee unleashed on a litany of Democrats around the country. Conversely, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee typically flags its media buys in a daily, piecemeal fashion.

Maine Senate

Former “Law & Order” star Sam Waterston followed through on his years-long crusade for moderates by appearing in a television spot for Independent former Gov. Angus King. According to a King spokeswoman, Waterston reached out to the campaign to offer help and the ad was shot in Maine. This spot has $50,000 behind it. Roll Call rates this race as Likely Independent.

Full story

NRCC Launches 26 New Ads Backed by $6.3 Million

The National Republican Congressional Committee, led by Rep. Pete Sessions (above), is trying to hold the GOP's 25-seat majority in November. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)

The partisan ad wars in the battle for control of the House are heating up, as the countdown to Election Day enters the final weeks.

The National Republican Congressional Committee launched a huge new ad blitz backed by $6.3 million.

The NRCC ads are airing Sept. 21-27 against incumbents and challengers from Arizona to West Virginia, with a heavy focus on districts in California and New York. The spots run the gamut from standard GOP attack ad fare — connecting a candidate to House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) or President Barack Obama — to knocking a Member for their vote in favor of the stimulus or the Affordable Care Act to creative, eye-catching spots. Full story

California: House Majority PAC Targets Jeff Denham

(Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

House Majority PAC, a Democratic-aligned group, is going on the air in California’s 10th district against freshman Republican Rep. Jeff Denham.

The group is launching a Medicare-themed television ad that targets “Denham’s plan” for Medicare and states that his Democratic opponent, astronaut Jose Hernandez, would strengthen the program. The ad hits the Sacramento airwaves Saturday and will run for a week and a half behind a six-figure independent expenditure. Full story