House Democrats are moving their reserved TV advertising dollars away from Rep. Jaime Churches (D-Wyandotte)’s competitive Downriver-based 27th District and Rep. Reggie Miller (D-Belleville)’s southern Wayne County’s 31st District toward knocking off Rep. Jamie Thompson (R-Brownstown) in the nearby 28th and securing other vulnerable Democrats.
The most recent ad tracking data released by AdImpact shows that instead of more than $4 million in reserved time for Churches and Miller, which had been the case in early August, it’s $1.5 million each.
Instead, the Democrats now have $3 million in ad time reserved for arguably their strongest recruit, Janise O’Neil Robinson in the nearby 28th House District.
They’ve also put $2.78 million into protecting Rep. Nate Shannon (D-Sterling Heights) in Sterling Heights and $2.45 million into securing Rep. Jim Haadsma (D-Battle Creek) in the Calhoun County-based 44th. Earlier this cycle, Democrats didn’t show they were spending in either one, despite former President Donald Trump having won both districts in the past.
Overall, there are 10 races where Democrats have reserved or spent more than $1 million each. In four of those races, they are going on the offensive.
Outside of Robinson, the D’s have seven figures reserved in the 54th with Shadia Martini against Rep. Donni Steele (R-Lake Orion), the 46th with Dan Mahoney against Rep. Kathy Schmaltz (R-Jackson) and Trevis Harrold against Rep. Mark Tisdel (R-Rochester Hills) in the 55th.
House Republicans are taking the approach of not spending on Detroit network TV on any candidate. They are spending in media markets where their dollars arguably go further, and the viewers are more likely voters of their candidate.
They are spending around $500,000 in the Lansing media market in support of Andy Shaver against Rep. Angela Witwer (D-Lansing) in the 76th and Rep. Kathy Schmaltz (R-Jackson) in the 46th. They have around $500,000 in support of Steve Frisbie in Calhoun County against Haadsma, around $500,000 in support of Karl Bohnak in Marquette against Rep. Jenn Hill (D-Marquette) and short of $500,000 on Tommy Brann in the 83rd against Rep. John Fitzgerald (D-Wyoming) in Grand Rapids.
The R’s biggest spend is in the Traverse City media market with $600,000 spent on possibly the Republicans’ most heralded rookie recruit, Lisa Trombley.
The most combined ad time reserved and purchased between Aug. 1 to the election on Nov. 5 according to AdImpact includes:
- 28th House District – $3,155,978 ($3,020,299 pro-Robinson, $135,679 pro-Thompson)
- Michigan Democratic State Central Committee $1,588,525, HDF/Robinson $1,385,878, HRCC/Thompson $111,483
- 44th House District – $2,932,932 ($2,435,013 pro-Haadsma, $497,909 pro-Frisbee)
- DSCC $2,188,977, HRCC $440,551, Haadsma $237,916
- 58th House District – $2,930,079 ($2,773,997 pro-Shannon, $156,083 pro-Robinson)
- DSCC $1,518,810, HDF/Shannon $1,220,916, Robinson $111,256
- 46th House District – $2,820,896 ($2,283,325 pro-Mahoney, $537,571 pro-Schmaltz)
- DSCC $1,864,447, HRCC $534,277, HDF/Mahoney $413,705
- 61st House District – $2,602,598 ($2,565,240 pro-Mentzer, $37,358 pro-Wojtowicz)
- DSCC $1,741,491, HDF $796,087, $31,161 Michigan Freedom Network
- 76th House District – $1,875,839 ($1,402,079 pro-Witwer, $473,760 pro-Shaver)
- DSCC $990,960, HRCC/Shaver $470,088, HDF Witwer
- 54th House District – $1,729,031 ($1,564,201 pro-Martini, $164,830 pro-Steele)
- HDF/Martini $1,534,876, HRCC/Steele $144,381
- 31st House District – $1,726,827 ($1,631,6832 pro-Miller, $95,145 pro-Biniecki)
- HDF/Miller $1,459,454, DSCC $123,475, Biniecki $83,334
- 27th House District – $1,609,586 ($1,476,543 pro-Churches, $133,043 pro-Linting)
- HDF/Churches has spent $1,393,174, HRCC/Linting $96,380
- 103rd House District – $1,347,755 ($660,447 pro-Coffia, $687,308 pro-Trombley)
- HRCC/Trombley $583,447, HDF/Coffia $408,151, Conservation Voters of Michigan PAC $194,779
- 109th House District – $1,284,800 ($797,261 pro-Hill, $487,539 pro-Bohnak)
- HDF/Hill $574,270, Bohnak $481,764, Conservation Voters of Michigan PAC $185,824
- 55th House District – $1,139,981 ($1,119,551 pro-Harrold, $20,430 pro-Tisdel)
- HDF/Harrold $866,642, DSCC $246,571, HRCC $17,000
- 83rd House District – $1,082,900 ($622,397 pro-Fitzgerald, $460,503 pro-Brann)
- HDF/Fitzgerald $580,107, HRCC $442,833
- 38th House District – $783,650 ($779,286 pro-Andrews, $4,363 pro-Whiteford)
- DSCC $773,594, HRCC $3,035
- 68th House District – $97,452 ($0 pro-Schlinker, $97,452 pro-Martin)
- 42nd House District – $87,029 ($0 pro-Marsman, $87,029 pro-Hall)
- 57th House District – $64,506 ($1,879 pro-Farooqi, $62,627 pro-Kuhn)
- HRCC/Kuhn $43,000, HRCC $15,958
- 29th House District – $60,991 ($53,438 pro-Wright, $7,553 pro-DeSana)
- Prosperity Michigan Action $53,438, House Republicans $7,553
- 86th House District – $46,638 ($0 pro-Klomparens, $46,638 pro-DeBoer)
- HRCC/DeBoer $46,638
- 92nd House District – $7,622 ($0 pro-Odykirk, $7,622 pro-Neyer)
- 49th House District – $5,496 ($0 pro-Wood, $5,496 pro-Bollin)
- 62nd House District – $3,023 ($0 pro-Levine-Woodman, $3,023 St. Germaine)
- 96th House District – $2,058 ($0 pro-Howard, $2,058 pro-Beson)
Article courtesy MIRS News for SBAM’s Lansing Watchdog newsletter
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