Democratic PAC Targets Indiana, Michigan, Colorado, California

The Democratic-affiliated group House Majority PAC today announced four new ads fulfilling an earlier-announced buy.

Three of the ads begin airing today, while one begins airing Thursday.

In its first foray into Indiana’s open 2nd district, House Majority PAC hits former state Rep. Jackie Walorski (R) on her position on women’s health care. She is favored in her race against Iraq War veteran Brendan Mullen (D).

This ad, which begins today, is backed by $175,000 over one week in the South Bend media market: Full story

Daily Ad Track

About a month ago, Roll Call published a story about how operatives adjusted their TV messaging in anticipation of ad inundation. This week, the New York Times and Ad Age have stellar pieces that dig deep into the economic implications of the nationwide ad blitz. Each article explains how it is getting harder and harder for ads to break through the clutter.

Here are the ones that are worth highlighting in that endeavor today:

Wisconsin Senate

This spot, courtesy of the Service Employees International Union, is one of the best ads of the cycle. Sure, it makes a point that surfaces in a lot of ads — a politician puts his personal gains over those of his home district or state. But what separates this ad from all of the others is how the images and depressing narration are set to an almost sarcastic sounding version of the University of Wisconsin fight song “On Wisconsin.” SEIU put $600,000 behind the ad.

Full story

Connecticut: SEIU Gives Elizabeth Esty Post-Primary Support

The Service Employees International Union Connecticut State Council endorsed Democrat Elizabeth Esty on Monday in the 5th district.

“We endorse Elizabeth Esty for Congress because our members are confident she will stand up and fight the radical right wing tea party agenda,” said Paul Filson, director of the SEIU’s state branch. “We know she will champion rights for workers and their families. She will fight to protect the promise of Social Security and Medicare. She will push for common sense investments in education, services and vital infrastructure improvements for Connecticut’s 5th Congressional district.”

While at first glance it would seem unremarkable that a union endorsed a Democrat, the unions strongly backed state Speaker Christopher Donovan in the Democratic primary.

According to an August Hartford Courant article, Esty “hasn’t always agreed with labor’s agenda,” and a decision to sit out this race would “undercut the Democratic Party.”

Esty is in a tough general election battle with state Sen. Andrew Roraback, a moderate Republican.

Roll Call rates this race as Leans Democratic.

House Majority PAC Releases New Ad Buys in Competitive Races

The Democratic-affiliated group House Majority PAC has made new investments in seven contested Congressional races.

The group made the following new buys from Oct. 17 to 23:

• $115,000 in California’s 7th district, where Rep. Dan Lungren (R) faces physician Ami Bera (D)
• $130,000 in Illinois’ 17th district, where Rep. Bobby Schilling (R) faces former East Moline Alderwoman Cheri Bustos (D)
• $200,000 in Michigan’s 1st district, where Rep. Dan Benishek (R) faces former state Rep. Gary McDowell (D)
• $175,000 in Indiana’s open 2nd district, where former state Rep. Jackie Walorski (R) faces Iraq War veteran Brendan Mullen (D)
• $500,000 in Colorado’s 6th district, where Rep Mike Coffman (R) faces state Rep. Joe Miklosi

House Majority PAC also made a new buy for the week before Election Day in Connecticut’s open 5th district, where state Sen. Andrew Roraback (R) faces former state Rep. Elizabeth Esty (D).

And the group boosted their already hefty buy in New York’s 27th district by $150,000. In that seat, Rep. Kathy Hochul (D) and businessman Chris Collins are squaring off in a competitive and testy contest.

Maine: Americans Elect, DSCC Spending Heavily on Senate Race

Outside groups have bought TV time in Maine to help boost former Gov. Angus King. (Joshua Miller/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

Christmas has come early for TV stations in Maine. Two outside groups have put in big money to help independent Senate candidate Angus King, the frontrunner in the race who has seen his lead slipping in recent weeks.

Americans Elect, the third-party group that tried and failed to get an independent, nonpartisan presidential candidate on the ballot this year, bought a substantial chunk of television time in support of King. Their ad began airing today and a source familiar with TV buys in the state said it was backed by about $500,000 through Oct. 25.

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee also reserved $1.7 million in television time from Oct. 9 through Nov. 5, the source said. That reservation is presumably to knock Republican nominee Charlie Summers, the Maine secretary of state. The DSCC first bought time in the state last month. Full story

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

Liberal Super PACs Announce New House Race Advertising

Rep. Ann Marie Buerkle is among the Republicans being targeted by a new liberal super PAC. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

A super PAC led by Jonathan Soros, the son of liberal financier George Soros, today announced the eight lawmakers it will target via direct mail, phone contact and Internet advertising.

The New York Times has described the group, Friends of Democracy, as “The Super PAC That Aims to End Super PACs.” Earlier this year, the Times reported that the group was targeting “10 to 15 House lawmakers whose records and public statements have not been supportive of what Mr. Soros calls a system of ‘citizen-led’ elections.”

Full story

People for the American Way Airs Hispanic Ads in Ohio, Wisconsin and Virginia

People for the American Way will launch a $1 million Hispanic ad campaign during the next five weeks in a trio of unexpected battleground states.

Ohio, Wisconsin and Virginia are known for their competitive presidential politics — but not for their strong Latino voting populations. PFAW is betting that, in a tight race, these votes will prove pivotal.

The liberal group’s first spot, “Somos El 47 percent,” targets GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney’s surreptitiously recorded comments to a private fundraiser in Florida last May. The campaign includes television, radio and direct mail.

“Mitt Romney recently said that 47 percent of us are dependent on the government, and that we think of ourselves as victims,” according to a PFAW translation of the 30-second Spanish spot. “He also said that we come here for a free deal.”

Many well-funded Democratic groups have been on the air for months with Spanish-language ads in key presidential states with burgeoning Latino voter populations, such as Florida, Nevada and Colorado.

Relatively, the trio of states receiving PFAW’s new campaign have smaller Latino voting populations, with estimates in the single digits. But historically, all three states have featured close presidential campaigns. In 2004, Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) carried Wisconsin by about 12,000 votes.

California: AFSCME Hits Dan Lungren, Chamber Slams Ami Bera

Outside groups continue to rain dollars on California, the new home of Congressional competition.

This week the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and a national labor union both hit the airwaves with significant buys in California’s 7th district. The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees dropped $800,000 on an ad that ties Rep. Dan Lungren (R) to Wall Street.

Lungren is among several Golden State incumbents in competitive races this year. Roll Call rates his race a Tossup.

Full story

House Majority PAC Cancels Miami, St. Louis and Boston Buys

House Majority PAC has canceled airtime aimed at House races in the pricey Miami, Boston and St. Louis markets.

In the past 24 hours, the Democratic super PAC pulled a $510,000 week-long buy in Miami for Oct. 9, $439,000 in St. Louis during the same week, and has canceled $637,500 for a two-week buy in the Boston market, according to sources in both parties who tracks ad buys.

The Miami market covers embattled Rep. David Rivera’s (R) district, which the super PAC planned to target. The St. Louis market covers two competitive open-seat races in Illinois: the the 12th and 13th districts. There are three Members in competitive races covered by the Boston media market: Reps. John Tierney (D-Mass.), Frank Guinta (R-N.H.) and Charles Bass (R-N.H.).

Full story

New York: House Majority PAC Ad Hits Chris Collins on Tenure as County Executive

(Douglas Graham/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

House Majority PAC, a third-party group supporting Democrats in Congressional races, today released an attack ad against Republican Congressional candidate Chris Collins, who is taking on Rep. Kathy Hochul (D) in New York’s 27th district.

The 30-second spot hits Collins, the former Erie County executive, for his tenure. “As county executive, Collins gave jobs to his friends,” a male narrator says. “Collins awarded his own company a lucrative county contract and had products manufactured overseas, creating jobs in Korea and China. Jobs we could really use in Western New York.”

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

Republicans Launch New Round of Ads in House Races

The National Republican Congressional Committee and other GOP-aligned outside groups launched a new round of television advertising over the weekend in a bevy of House races.

With seven weeks to go until Election Day, the NRCC on Sunday released 10 new TV ads — six in districts the group is working to hold and four in districts the GOP hopes to pick up. Democrats must score a net gain of 25 seats in November to wrestle back control of the House majority. Full story

Virginia: Tim Kaine Rebukes Negative Ads on 9/11 Anniversary

(Chris Maddaloni/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

Former Gov. Tim Kaine (D), who is running for an open Senate seat, issued a harsh rebuke of a Republican-aligned outside group that launched three ads against him Tuesday, the anniversary of 9/11.

A Crossroads GPS spokesman said in a release that the $1 million ad campaign highlights the areas in which Kaine is out of step with Virginia, including on issues such as education and the defense industry.

In response, the Kaine campaign released a statement regarding the timing of the latest round of ads, rather than its routine fact-check. Full story