Democrats Lead House Ad Spending

By Reid Wilson  //  July 5, 2012 | 6:27 a.m.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and its allies have made their plans known early this year, plopping down millions of dollars in advertising reservations in markets across the country months before those advertisements will air.

The DCCC has reserved a total of $46 million across dozens of media markets around the country for ads that would run during the critical October home stretch. This week, House Majority PAC, a super PAC run by a former top DCCC official, and the Service Employees International Union added another $20 million in ad reservations to that total.


MAP: TV Ad Buys

That's far more than the National Republican Congressional Committee has reserved. The NRCC has reserved about $24 million across fewer targeted media markets. Republicans will certainly spend much more than they have currently reserved, though they haven't actually bought the time yet.

Reserving time means the parties are able to lock in costs at defined rates now, rates that will be less expensive than if the parties were to buy time at the last minute.

The reservations don't quite tell us exactly which race the parties are targeting. Democrats and Republicans each have major ad buys in the Philadelphia media market, for example; that market covers all or parts of four Pennsylvania districts and one New Jersey seat. While the reservations may appear to tip each side's hands, they still maintain flexibility. Either side can cancel a buy at the last minute, or give up their reservation without penalty.

Both sides have invested millions in the Sacramento, Las Vegas, Denver, Cleveland and Pittsburgh markets, all of which cover more than one swing state. The buyers will ship ads targeting specific districts at the last possible moment, to preserve their options if a given race starts looking more promising or farther out of reach.

Sacramento is the early battleground; Democrats have reserved $7.7 million in ad time, while the NRCC wants $3 million in airtime set aside. That market covers Reps. John Garamendi, Dan Lungren, Jerry McNerney and Jeff Denham -- two Democrats and two Republicans, all of whom will face difficult re-election bids this year. Democrats have invested in at least 26 media markets where Republicans have yet to make a buy, according to data provided by the two party committees and the outside groups. Those markets include Seattle, Phoenix, Bismarck and Fargo, Chicago and Norfolk, Va., along with six different markets in Florida. Republicans are making reservations in at least seven markets where Democrats are absent so far, including San Diego, Salt Lake City, Lexington, and smaller markets in North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia. The two sides have each reserved ad time in 17 media markets; in every case, Democrats have spent more money. Both sides focused early on presidential battleground states, where down-ballot candidates run the risk of being drowned out by wealthier outside groups and the White House campaigns themselves. Each side has bought early in Denver, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, Boston, Des Moines and several areas in Ohio, Michigan and Wisconsin.

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