The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and its allies have made their plans known early this year, plopping down millions of dollars in advertising reservations in markets across the country months before those advertisements will air.
The DCCC has reserved a total of $46 million across dozens of media markets around the country for ads that would run during the critical October home stretch. This week, House Majority PAC, a super PAC run by a former top DCCC official, and the Service Employees International Union added another $20 million in ad reservations to that total.
That’s far more than the National Republican Congressional Committee has reserved. The NRCC has reserved about $24 million across fewer targeted media markets. Republicans will certainly spend much more than they have currently reserved, though they haven’t actually bought the time yet.
Reserving time means the parties are able to lock in costs at defined rates now, rates that will be less expensive than if the parties were to buy time at the last minute.
The reservations don’t quite tell us exactly which race the parties are targeting. Democrats and Republicans each have major ad buys in the Philadelphia media market, for example; that market covers all or parts of four Pennsylvania districts and one New Jersey seat.
MORE: Democrats Lead House Ad Spending – Hotline On Call.