Republican governors group books $31 million in fall airtime

The Republican Governors Association (RGA) has booked more than $31 million in advertising airtime across five states with critical contests in November’s midterm elections, locking in lower rates in television markets that are likely to get crowded later this year.

The RGA said Tuesday it would reserve $10.2 million in Arizona, where both parties face competitive primaries in the race to replace term-limited Gov. Doug Ducey (R).

The committee has reserved $8 million in airtime in Nevada’s two major media markets, Las Vegas and Reno. Four prominent Republicans are vying for the right to challenge Gov. Steve Sisolak (D), who formally filed to run for reelection on Monday.

In Wisconsin, the RGA has purchased $6.2 million in ads set to run against Gov. Tony Evers (D). Former Lieutenant Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch (R), businessman Kevin Nicholson (R) and state Rep. Timothy Ramthun (R), who has denied the results of the 2020 elections, are running to challenge the first-term Democrat.

And the RGA has blocked out $3.5 million in ads in both Michigan, where Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) is seeking a second term, and Kansas, where Gov. Laura Kelly (D) faces voters again.

The ad buys begin in August in Arizona and in September in the other four states. Buying television time so early is meant to secure lower costs for individual advertisements than a political group would receive if it waited to reserve spots, as rising demand forces the price of individual 30-second advertisements up.

The states where the RGA is laying down early money are the most likely to become extremely expensive this year: Three of them — Arizona, Nevada and Wisconsin — also feature battles for U.S. Senate seats that are among the most competitive in the country. Republicans and Democrats will battle over several U.S. House seats in Michigan, and a swing House seat in Kansas, attracting millions in ad spending on their own.

“The RGA is committed to investing in these states to ensure Americans know life is better when a Republican governor is in charge,” said David Rexrode, the RGA’s executive director.

Thirty-six states will elect governors this year, 20 of which currently have Republican incumbents in office. Republican governors are retiring in Massachusetts, Maryland, Arkansas, Nebraska and Arizona, while the Democratic governors of Pennsylvania, Oregon and Hawaii face term limits.