Campaign

Dem House super PAC reserves $43 million in fall TV ads

by Lisa Hagen - 03/08/18 6:00 AM ET

A major Democratic super PAC says it will book $43 million in early TV ads as the party looks to make big gains in the 2018 midterms and take back the House.

House Majority PAC (HMP) says its initial list of ad buys will span 33 media markets in 20 states and Washington, D.C. and include broadcast and cable. The ad blitz will run in the midterms’ final weeks.

The ads will target states that are home to some of the most competitive House races of the cycle as Democrats look to flip 24 seats to regain a majority in the lower chamber.

{mosads}

The hefty ad buy will help the Democratic group compete with the GOP-aligned Congressional Leadership Fund (CLF), which poured millions of dollars into special election races last year.

The CLF, which has ties to House GOP leadership, currently has ads on the airwaves in Pennsylvania ahead of Tuesday’s pivotal special election.

“The Republicans are panicking about losing their majority in the House, because they know that across the country Democrats have top-notch candidates running, and there’s a surge in grassroots participation,” said HMP executive director Charlie Kelly.

“2018 will bring a barrage of frantic negative attack ads from GOP outside groups, but HMP is ensuring we’re prepared early-on to fight back. Momentum is on our side, and with smart, strategic investments, we will help Democrats win across the country.”

Democrats are feeling emboldened by their chances of taking back the House as they prepare for what they consider to be the largest House battlefield in a decade.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), the House Democrats’ campaign arm, has unveiled 101 GOP-held districts it plans to target. The list includes top seats the party thinks it can flip to more reach districts it believes it could win if there was a Democratic wave.

While Republicans are facing strong political headwinds ahead of the fall midterms, they’re feeling more bullish about 2018 after passing the tax overhaul in December. The law has seen its popularity in polls tick up recently.

Here’s a full list of HMP’s ad buys in each state with a breakdown of the markets:

California: $5.22 million in Los Angeles, $1.54 million in Sacramento, $1.24 million in San Diego

Texas: $2.2 million in Dallas-Ft. Worth, $1.98 million in Houston, $850,000 in San Antonio

Florida: $1.12 million in Miami, $1.93 million in Orlando, $420,000 in West Palm Beach

Minnesota: $3.52 million in Minneapolis

Pennsylvania: $2.97 million in Philadelphia

Nevada: $2.79 million in Las Vegas

Washington, DC: $1.88 million

Colorado: $1.76 million in Denver

Maine: $616,000 in Bangor, $1.01 million in Portland, $70,000 in Presque Isle

Washington state: $1.69 million in Seattle

Arizona: $1.17 million in Phoenix, $480,000 in Tucson