Arizona: Democratic PAC Hitting TV Airwaves in Special

The Democratic-aligned House Majority PAC is placing a $340,000 television ad buy in Arizona’s 8th district special election to replace former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D).

The three-week buy is set to begin running Friday on broadcast and cable in Tucson, and targets Republican nominee Jesse Kelly, who faces former Giffords aide Ron Barber. The buy is intended to supplement a two week ad buy placed by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which is due to expire the same day the House Majority PAC TV spot hits the airwaves.

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Obama Campaign to Go After ‘Contract-Killer’ Super PAC Ads

President Barack Obama’s re-election campaign strategist David Axelrod warned today that the president’s campaign would respond aggressively to the “Karl and Koch brothers’ contract killers in super PAC-land” and treat their ads as if they came from Mitt Romney himself.

Axelrod was referring to GOP strategist Karl Rove’s group American Crossroads and the billionaire Koch brothers, Charles and David, who have bankrolled several conservative political action committees. Both are expected to play a large role in attacking Obama and other Democratic candidates this year.

On a conference call with reporters during which the campaign detailed a $25 million positive ad buy in swing states during the next month, Axelrod said Romney can’t sell his policy prescriptions, which the strategist ripped as backward-looking and as a doubling down on tax cuts for the wealthy.

“He’s basically reduced to running a negative campaign, just as he was in the primaries,” Axelrod said. “We have a different approach.”

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Virginia: Majority PAC Follows Crossroads GPS On the Air

The airwaves are heating up in what could be among the nation’s biggest 2012 battlegrounds.

A Democratic-aligned outside group announced today it is going on the air in the Senate race, targeting former Virginia Sen. George Allen. The ad comes one week after a GOP-aligned outside group took on Allen’s opponent, former Gov. Tim Kaine. Full story

California: Super PAC Drops $500,000 on TV for Howard Berman

(Scott J. Ferrell/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

The San Fernando Valley cable systems are reaping the benefits of what’s expected to be one of the most expensive House races ever.

A super PAC reportedly supporting California Rep. Howard Berman has purchased a half-million dollars in cable TV time for the next month, according to the campaign of Berman’s opponent, fellow Democratic Rep. Brad Sherman. The ad buy runs from May 2 to June 4. Full story

Crossroads GPS Launching New Round of Senate Ads

Crossroads GPS is hitting the airwaves Wednesday with issue ads against Democratic candidates in five Senate battleground states.

The Republican-aligned nonprofit, which is affiliated with the American Crossroads super PAC, is dropping $1.2 million on the TV ad buy, which was first reported by the Hotline. The ads will air in Missouri, Montana, Nevada, North Dakota and Virginia through May 5. Full story

Anti-Incumbent Super PAC Adds Jones, Moran to Target List

Rep. Walter Jones Jr. is one of two Members that an anti-incumbent super PAC has decided to target. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

Updated 7:39 p.m. | The Campaign for Primary Accountability plans to launch spending crusades against Reps. Walter Jones Jr. (R-N.C.) and Jim Moran (D-Va.) as part of the super PAC’s growing list of targeted races.

The deep-pocketed super PAC also announced a “Watch List” of more than two dozen veteran Members whom it plans to evaluate and potentially target during the height of primary season during the next three months. Full story

Newt Gingrich Scales Back Presidential Campaign

(Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Former Speaker Newt Gingrich is dramatically scaling back his presidential campaign, according to news reports.

The Georgia Republican will cut one-third of his staff and has already replaced campaign manager Michael Krull with deputy campaign manager Vince Haley.

The campaign will also refocus its strategy around persuading delegates to the August convention in Tampa, Fla., to support him, according to multiple news reports. Full story

Shop Talk: Andy Stone Joins House Majority PAC

Veteran operative Andy Stone is joining the Democratic-aligned House Majority PAC as communications director, the organization will announce today.

“We are thrilled to have Andy on board,” the political action committee’s executive director, Ali Lapp, said in a statement obtained by Roll Call. “Andy brings many assets to House Majority PAC — his understanding of the House, experience in California — one of our most important states in 2012 — and he knows firsthand what it’s like to be fighting for progressive principles and policies every day.” Full story

Super PAC Looks for Next Primary Targets

The Campaign for Primary Accountability has targeted Rep. Tim Murphy in his April primary. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

The Campaign for Primary Accountability aided freshman Rep. Adam Kinzinger’s victory in Tuesday’s primary, and now the group has set its sights on a few more incumbents.

The super PAC will target Pennsylvania Reps. Tim Holden (D) and Tim Murphy (R) in their April 24 primaries, according to spokesman Curtis Ellis. Full story

Illinois: Super PAC Spent Big for Adam Kinzinger in Home Stretch

Rep. Adam Kinzinger (left) won a hotly contested primary against a fellow GOP Member on Tuesday. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

Freshman Rep. Adam Kinzinger had some outside help in his victory over veteran Rep. Don Manzullo in Tuesday’s primary.

The Campaign for Primary Accountability, a super PAC, spent a whopping $222,000 on Kinzinger’s behalf late in the race. That’s more than four times as much as the $52,000 radio ad buy that YG Action Fund, a super PAC run by a former aide to House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (Va.), put into the race.

The six-figure sum is also more cash than the controversial, Texas-based super PAC has spent in any other race this cycle. Full story

Morning Roundup: The Sunshine State Speaks

(Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

It’s primary day in Florida, where today’s high is expected to be 79 in Tampa and GOP voters across the state are casting ballots in the presidential race.

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney appears headed for victory tonight — but everyone will be watching the margin by which he tops ex-Speaker Newt Gingrich. The final tracking poll by Public Policy Polling (a Democratic firm) found Romney at 39 percent and Gingrich at 31 percent. Full story