DSCC Reserves Airtime in Three Key States

In its first television advertising reservation for the fall, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee reserved $14.1 million in Missouri, Montana and Virginia — three states Democrats are looking to hold as they seek to preserve their four-seat Senate majority.

As the Hotline first reported, the DSCC reserved $7.4 million in Virginia, $3.5 million in Missouri and $3.2 million in Montana. The Virginia and Missouri reservations are for Oct. 9 to Nov. 5, and the Montana reservation is from Aug. 28 to Nov. 5, Roll Call confirmed with a Democratic source. Full story

New York: Super PAC Takes Aim at Charlie Rangel

(Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

The Campaign for Primary Accountability, a nonpartisan super PAC that has successfully targeted incumbents this cycle by supporting primary challengers, will next turn its substantial financial resources against longtime Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y.).

The group announced it “will make independent expenditures opposing Rep. Rangel and supporting state Sen. Adriano Espaillat.” Super PAC spokesman Curtis Ellis wouldn’t specify how much the CPA would spend against Rangel, but he noted that in its previous efforts, the group usually spends six-figure sums in its races. Full story

California: House Majority PAC on TV for Julia Brownley

House Majority PAC, a super PAC supporting Democratic House candidates, hit the airwaves today in support of Assemblywoman Julia Brownley in California’s 26th district.

This is a top pickup opportunity for Democrats, who are looking to capitalize on Rep. Elton Gallegly’s (R) retirement and a more favorable district following redistricting. However, with multiple Democrats running in the all-party primary, there is a chance the party’s vote splinters, allowing state Sen. Tony Strickland (R) and Ventura County Supervisor Linda Parks (I), a former Republican, to advance to the general. Full story

North Carolina: Eric Cantor-Affiliated Group Backs Richard Hudson on Radio

(Douglas Graham/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

The YG Action Fund, a super PAC affiliated with House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.), is on the radio in North Carolina’s 8th district with an ad backing former Hill staffer Richard Hudson.

The spot, backed by a $53,000 buy, is the second independent expenditure the super PAC has made on behalf of Hudson. On April 24, the group spent $22,750 on mailers supporting the candidate, according to Federal Election Commission filings.

“Richard Hudson will cut out-of-control government spending — starting with repealing and replacing Obamacare,” a narrator says in the spot. “Hudson will fight for tax relief for our families and businesses: He’ll protect North Carolina jobs.”

Hudson, the frontrunner, is locked in a competitive race with four other GOP contenders, including dentist Scott Keadle, who is backed by the powerful pro-free-market group the Club for Growth.

Full story

Indiana: Senate Race Sees $3.5M in Outside Spending

The majority of outside groups spending money in Indiana's Senate race are boosting state Treasurer Richard Mourdock. (Shira Toeplitz/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Outside groups have made almost $3.5 million in independent expenditures so far in the competitive Indiana GOP Senate primary, according to online data from the Federal Election Commission.

The bulk of the spending, about $2.3 million so far, has been by groups supporting state Treasurer Richard Mourdock’s effort to defeat six-term Sen. Dick Lugar. For example, in the past 24 hours, the Club for Growth put down a $421,000 media buy blasting the Senator.

But it’s still not more money than Lugar’s campaign has spent so far. His most recent fundraising report showed his campaign had spent $5.4 million through April 18. Meanwhile, Mourdock’s campaign will report spending just more than $2 million through the same date, according to his spokesman. Full story

NRSC Places $25 Million Ad Reservation for Fall Campaign

National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman John Cornyn is trying to win back the majority this fall. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

The Senate GOP’s campaign arm reserved approximately $25 million in airtime today in six targeted Senate races — an early and aggressive move for a party looking to regain the majority.

The broadcast, cable and radio buy comes several months before the campaign committees’ independent expenditure arms typically start to reserve air time for the post-Labor Day campaign advertisement blitz.

“This is our first buy, not our last. But this foundation does ensure we will be heard through various channels as the electorate decides who they are going to vote for,” a National Republican Senatorial Committee official told Roll Call. Full story

Nevada: Ad War Erupts on Spanish-Language Radio

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee released a Spanish-language radio ad today in Nevada that ties Republican Sen. Dean Heller to Sharron Angle.

The ad, launched in coordination with Rep. Shelley Berkley (D), twice mentions Angle, the 2010 Senate candidate and tea party lightning rod, and claims Heller is running “an anti-Latino campaign,” according to a translated transcript of the ad.

The 60-second ad goes on to say that Heller wants to copy neighboring Arizona’s beefed-up immigration law and that he opposes the DREAM Act.

“In Republican Dean Heller, we have another Sharron Angle,” the ad’s announcer says in Spanish. Full story

DCCC Taps Travis Lowe as IE Director

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee announced today that Travis Lowe will serve as the committee’s independent expenditure director. Lowe currently serves as the DCCC’s campaign director. Current DCCC Research Director Kevin McKeon was tapped as the IE’s research director.

“Travis Lowe and Kevin McKeon know the strategy and tactics to win tough campaigns. They have the right combination of experience, political know-how and superior understanding of our races to aggressively run winning races,” DCCC Chairman Steve Israel (N.Y.) said in a statement. “Travis and Kevin will lead an expanded IE team dealing with more than 75 races this cycle.”

Party committees’ independent expenditure arms spend huge chunks of their money late in the cycle, but they aren’t allowed to directly coordinate with the party under current campaign finance law. That means the party puts a great deal of trust in the leaders in charge of its IEs.

Final Weekend Before Oregon Special Election Arrives

(Douglas Graham/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

Republican businessman Rob Cornilles invoked former Rep. David Wu in his last TV ad of Oregon’s 1st district special election.

Heading into the final weekend in the all-mail election against state Sen. Suzanne Bonamici, the Cornilles ad ties his Democratic opponent to the former Congressman, who resigned last year following sexual assault allegations. Full story