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Politico

Politics

Ally Mutnick

House Republicans add $28M to fall TV reservations

NRCC Republican Republican Party Abigail Spanberger Angie Craig Anna Moneymaker Calif Cindy Axne Dan Kildee David Valadao

Nearly three-quarters of the new investment will go toward targeting Democratic-held seats. | Anna Moneymaker

The National Republican Congressional Committee is dropping another $28 million on fall TV advertising, bringing the committee's total spending to $80 million as it nears the final leg of its bid for the House majority.

Nearly three-quarters of the new investment will go toward targeting Democratic-held seats, and the committee is zeroing in on five new offensive targets, according to plans shared first with POLITICO. But in a sign the House battlefield has tightened in recent weeks, thanks in part to a Democratic base motivated to defend abortion rights, the NRCC also placed a new defensive reservation and increased its spending in a handful of other seats it hopes to protect.

The House GOP campaign arm placed a $3.7 million buy against Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-Va.); $2.3 million against Rep. Kim Schrier (D-Wash.); and $950,000 against Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas). President Joe Biden carried each of their districts by 6 to 7 points in 2020.

The NRCC also will air ads for the first time in three open seats: $2.7 million in a new district in North Carolina’s Research Triangle, where Republican Bo Hines faces Democratic state Sen. Wiley Nickel; $2.6 million in a newly created district in the northern Denver suburbs, where Republican Barb Kirkmeyer is challenging state Rep. Yadira Caraveo; and $3.4 million in an open district in northeastern Ohio, where Democratic state Rep. Emilia Sykes faces Republican Madison Gesiotto Gilbert.

These buys give insight into what Republican strategists see as the clearest path to taking back the House. Additional spending is expected in the next two months.

“We are continuing to expand the playing field deeper into Democrat-held territory and look forward to prosecuting the case against every one of these vulnerable Democrats,” NRCC Chair Tom Emmer said in a statement.

The committee also upped its investment in Republican-held turf, too.

It will spend $2.2 million in its first ad buy to defend Rep. Michelle Steel (R-Calif.). And the NRCC increased its spending to protect Reps. David Valadao (R-Calif.), Mike Garcia (R-Calif.), Don Bacon (R-Neb.) and Steve Chabot (R-Ohio). All hold districts that Biden carried in 2020, leaving them increasingly vulnerable.

The NRCC also added to existing reservations in another eight districts currently held by Democrats, including Reps. Cindy Axne (D-Iowa), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Dan Kildee (D-Mich.) and Angie Craig (D-Minn.), as well as districts currently held by retiring Reps. Ann Kirkpatrick (D-Ariz.) and Conor Lamb (D-Pa.). It will also spend another $1.9 million to target Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine) and $1 million against Rep. Matt Cartwright (D-Pa.).

New NRCC spending: