Republicans And Democrats Spending Millions On ‘Toss-Up’ Races

Punchbowl news reports that Republicans and Democrats are saturating the airwaves by spending millions of dollars across Nevada in “toss-up” races as Republicans seek to gain control of the U.S. House, U.S. Senate and Silver State. Overall, in one week, $34M in ad buys has been spent in Nevada as candidates enter the final stretch to the November midterm election.

Some of the spending we’re seeing in these competitive House races is just bonkers. Truly mind-blowing. These are House districts with TV ad spending levels that you used to see in Senate or gubernatorial campaigns not that long ago.

“The entire GOP ecosystem has worked in lockstep to ensure Republicans have the resources necessary to prosecute the case against Democrats’ policies that have made life worse for every American family,” NRCC Communications Director Michael McAdams told Punchbowl News.

Examples of “bonkers” spending is found in Congressional District 3 (CD-3), the second most expensive “toss up” House race in the country. A total of $31.4 million has been spent this election cycle in the race between Democratic Rep. Susie Lee and GOP challenger April Becker. This past week alone, Republicans have spent $1.7 M to Democrats $1.5 M to unseat Lee.

The Cook Political Report shifted this race from Lean Democrat to “toss-up”. Other polls are showing Becker with a two to three point lead over Lee and Becker is gaining ground with Latino voters.

This week in political advertising spending around the country (10/9-10/15):

🔵$207M
🔴$173M

Senate races: $122M
House: $102M
Gubernatorial: $82M

Which states saw the most money?#CAPol: $55M#NVPol: $34M#PAPol: $32M

🧵

— AdImpact Politics (@AdImpact_Pol) October 14, 2022

Another “toss-up” race is Congressional District 1 (CD-1), where Rep. Dina Titus faces GOP challenger Col. Mark Robertson. Republicans have a slight edge on Democrats, spending $1.4M to $1.3M respectively. Titus, who vulgarly noted that she got “totally f*cked” by the Democratic legislature’s redistricting maps, is at risk of losing her once-ironclad Democratic district.

She said redrawing her district “would have been worth it” if it created two other safe districts, but instead lawmakers created “three, competitive, risky districts.”

House election spending this week (10/9-10/15):#CA22:
🔴$2.0M🔵$1.3M#NV03:
🔴$1.7M🔵$1.5M#MI07:
🔵$2.2M🔴$932K#NH01:
🔵$1.7M🔴$1.3M#ME02:
🔴$1.7M🔵$1.3M#NV01:
🔵$1.4M🔴$1.3M#VA07:
🔴$1.4M🔵$1.3M#PA07:
🔴$1.3M🔵$1.3M#CO08:
🔴$1.4M🔵$899K#PA17:
🔴$1.2M🔵$1.1M

3/5

— AdImpact Politics (@AdImpact_Pol) October 14, 2022

In the race for the U.S. Senate between Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto and Adam Laxalt, AdImpact Politics reports that Democrats have a spending edge on Republicans, spending $7.4M to the GOP’s $7.1M. Yet, Cortez Masto does not have an edge on Laxalt as the last seven polls have shown Laxalt with a lead over the “first Latina senator.”

Although Cortez Masto continues to hammer Laxalt on abortion, Big Pharma and Big Oil, the Washington Post has given her the dishonor of seven Pinocchios for her “dubious, weaselly and flimsy” claims and Politifact has rated her attack ads as “mostly false.”

Adding to the Democratic dread, and reason for their spending, Roll Call has named Cortez Masto as the incumbent “most at risk of defeat”, the Cook Political Report ranks her as the #1 endangered incumbent” and even CNN admits she is “vulnerable.”

House election spending this week (10/9-10/15):#CA22:
🔴$2.0M🔵$1.3M#NV03:
🔴$1.7M🔵$1.5M#MI07:
🔵$2.2M🔴$932K#NH01:
🔵$1.7M🔴$1.3M#ME02:
🔴$1.7M🔵$1.3M#NV01:
🔵$1.4M🔴$1.3M#VA07:
🔴$1.4M🔵$1.3M#PA07:
🔴$1.3M🔵$1.3M#CO08:
🔴$1.4M🔵$899K#PA17:
🔴$1.2M🔵$1.1M

3/5

— AdImpact Politics (@AdImpact_Pol) October 14, 2022

Rounding out the “toss-up” races is the battle for Nevada governor as GOP nominee Sheriff Joe Lombardo has proven to be a formidable opponent against Governor Steve Sisolak. This week, Democrats have poured $4M into the race to save Sisolak, compared to Republican’s $2.7 M.

Gubernatorial election spending this week (10/9-10/15):#WIGov:
🔵$5.0M🔴$3.0M#FLGov:
🔴$6.2M🔵$1.4M#TXGov:
🔴$4.1M🔵$3.5M#NVGov:
🔵$4.0M🔴$2.7M#MIGov:
🔵$5.0M🔴$1.1M#GAGov:
🔵$3.1M🔴$2.2M#ILGov:
🔴$2.4M🔵$2.2M#AZGov:
🔵$2.8M🔴$1.8M

4/5

— AdImpact Politics (@AdImpact_Pol) October 14, 2022

As reported by The Globe, The Republican Governor’s Association (RGA) Nevada PAC recently released a new statewide ad that has a significant $2.8 million dollars behind it. To date, the PAC has spent over $17 million on TV and radio ads. Polls released by Big Data Poll and Trafalgar Group show Sheriff Lombardo up two points and three points, respectively. Data for Progress, a progressive group that cites a 3.3% left-leaning bias, has the race tied.