Democrats reserve TV ad time in House races nationwide
March 30, 2016
By Alan Fram
WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrats are grabbing election-season television time in eight markets from New Hampshire to Nevada as part of their longshot bid to take majority control of the House.
The House Majority PAC, a political committee that helps Democratic candidates, said Wednesday it is reserving $7.5 million worth of time for ads for the last weeks of the campaign.
Ad time reserved in advance is usually less expensive, sometimes dramatically so, than time purchased at the last minute.
Though the process can vary, in many instances organizations can cancel reservations without penalty. Such changes are a common occurrence as Election Day approaches and strategists abandon losing campaigns for winnable races.
The markets cover around a dozen House districts that could see competitive elections in November. They include Denver, Colorado, where GOP Rep. Mike Coffman is being challenged, and West Palm Beach, Florida, where Democratic Rep. Patrick Murphy is abandoning his seat to run for the Senate.
Other markets where Democrats are reserving time are Cedar Rapids and Des Moines, Iowa; Las Vegas, Nevada; Manchester, New Hampshire; New York City and Philadelphia.
Even so, Democrats need to gain 30 seats to win a House majority, a pickup still considered an uphill climb for the party.
National Republican Campaign Committee spokeswoman Katie Martin declined to comment Wednesday.