DCCC Announces $51.5 Million Ad Buy Targeting 32 Districts

[Awsi Dooger]

It says 32, but I count only 31 races among the list at bottom of that link, after removing Chocola and Northup.

http://www.thehill.com/thehill/export/TheHill/News/Frontpage/080206/news1.html

"The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) has reserved $51.5 million of television advertising in 32 congressional districts.

The allocation reveals an aggressive posture toward the midterm elections, with 27 Republican-held districts targeted and only five Democratic districts identified as needing the defense of DCCC cash.

<snip>

The $51.5 million total exceeds previously reported figures by $20 million and confirms that Democrats will be on offense for much of the fall in states such as Connecticut, Indiana, Pennsylvania and Ohio as Republicans circle the wagons to protect their majority in the House."

<snip>

"Notably absent from the DCCC list were Republican Reps. Chris Chocola (Ind.), who is considered one of the GOP’s most vulnerable incumbents, and Anne Northup (Ky.), whose Louisville district has been a perpetual target for congressional Democrats..."

Targets of Opportunity

GOP Open

AZ-08 Open 8 weeks, $1.69M
CO-07 Open 6 weeks, $2.29M
IA-01 Open 10 weeks, $2.1M
IL-06 Open 3 weeks, $2.33M
MN-06 Open 4 weeks, $1.39M
NY-24 Open 6 weeks, $797K
WI-08 Open 9 weeks, $667K

GOP Incumbent

AZ-05 J.D. Hayworth 5 weeks, $1.7M
CO-04 Marilyn Musgrave 2 weeks,$630K
CT-02 Rob Simmons 5 weeks, $1.9M
CT-04 Christopher Shays 4 weeks,$362.5K
CT-05 Nancy Johnson 5 weeks, $1.75M
FL-22 Clay Shaw 5 weeks, $2.13M
IN-08 John Hostettler 11 weeks, $1.42M
IN-09 Mike Sodrel 6 weeks, $1.3M
KY-04 Geoff Davis 6 weeks, $2.74M
NC-11 Charles Taylor 8 weeks, $1.41M
NM-01 Heather Wilson 8 weeks, $2.1M
OH-01 Steve Chabot 4 weeks, $721K
OH-15 Deborah Pryce 3 weeks, $1.2M
OH-18 Bob Ney 3 weeks, $1.55M
PA-06 Jim Gerlach 4 weeks, $3.07M
PA-07 Curt Weldon 4 weeks, $2.32M
PA-08 Mike Fitzpatrick 4 weeks, $2.29M
VA-02 Thelma Drake 8 weeks, $850K
WA-08 Dave Reichert 4 weeks, $1.49M

Dem Open

OH-06 Open 3 weeks, $147K
VT-al Open 8 weeks, $632K

Dem Incumbent

IA-03 Leonard Boswell 10 weeks,$920.5K
IL-08 Melissa Bean 3 weeks, $2.32M
WV-01 Alan Mollohan 3 weeks, $11,928

[Vinnie From Indy]

1. LOL!

When will the Dem leadership realize that they will once again face a mainstream media happy to take their money with one hand and savage them with the other? I hope no one has any illusions as to what will once again transpire this election cycle. The GOP will introduce one or several SwiftBoat groups that will spend a few thousand for an ad. The media will take it from there and relentlessly play the ad under the guise of news reporting and hours upon hours of discussing the manufactired controversy to the tune of millions if not hundreds of millions in FREE advertising all in the service of the GOP and especially SmirkyCo. The last thing these ol' boys want is some damn Democrats busting up their orgy of greed and theft.

[Nashyra]

2. Also missing

from list is the open seat in NV CD2. Jill Derby's race. I can not believe that it will not be a horserace all the way.

[Awsi Dooger]

3. Plus, it should not be an expensive race to buy

That's Jim Gibbons' district, that he's abandoning to run for governor. Las Vegas TV advertising is four times as expensive as the Reno area. I've heard that figure quoted many times, including last week. Granted, it's a rural Republican leaning district, but Derby is a very good candidate.

The article does mention we are not funding the Nevada 3 race against Jon Porter. He's a rank mediocrity but I guess we didn't have a top shelf candidate. That's been the problem for Nevada Democrats this decade.