More down-ballot statewide candidates going on TV
In most cases, these candidates have the airwaves to themselves. Their opponents do not have competing ads
Josh Stein and Mark Robinson have been on TV for months. Dan Bishop and Jeff Jackson have been broadcasting ads in their AG race for weeks. But now that we’re in October, more Council of State candidates are launching their own television ads for the final weeks of the campaign.
The biggest spender I’ve seen so far: Democratic lieutenant governor candidate Rachel Hunt has just dropped nearly $500,000 on broadcast ads in the Raleigh and Charlotte markets, according to federal filings.
You can see a larger version and manipulate the data here. A few of the smaller buys were made in July, but the rest were made late last week.
Hunt’s opponent, Hal Weatherman, does not appear to be on TV currently.
Down-ballot statewide candidates often choose not to go on TV because of simple economics. These races don’t raise nearly the amount of money as their higher-profile kin, and reaching any sort of penetration statewide is costly. Most consultants will tell you that you’re throwing away your money if you don’t buy enough advertising to move the needle.
Here are other statewide candidates with recent TV buys:
Superintendent of Public Instruction candidate Mo Green (D). His opponent, Michele Morrow, does not yet have any buys, according to our research.
State Treasurer candidate Brad Briner (R). His opponent, State Rep. Wesley Harris (D), isn’t on TV, as far as I can tell.
State Auditor candidate Dave Boliek (R) just bought about $15,000 worth of ads on WWAY in Wilmington. Democrat Jessica Holmes does not have any ads currently, so far as I can tell.
Secretary of State Elaine Marshall (D). I haven’t seen anything from her Republican opponent, Chad Brown.
Supreme Court candidate Allison Riggs (D). Her opponent, Republican Court of Appeals Judge Jefferson Griffin,
is not on TVhas been on TV in three markets, the campaign told me this morning.
Here’s how much it costs to advertise during a Panthers game
I always love looking up the cost of a Super Bowl spot. The Panthers don’t come anywhere close, but broadcasting a political ad statewide during game time still isn’t cheap.
We looked at campaign rates for a 30-second spot during a 1 p.m. Panthers game so far this season. The grand total to hit all N.C. markets with a single ad: $40,500.
Here’s how it breaks down:
WJZY (Charlotte): $15,000
WRAZ (Raleigh): $12,500
WGHP (Greensboro): $9,000
WSFX (Wilmington): $2,000
WYDO (Greenville): $2,000
Other TV ad tidbits
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Josh Stein has enough money to be pretty liberal with his TV ad spending, and he’s got three different spots on rotation right now.
We found a filing that breaks down the formula. It tracks with the overall tenor of his campaign — two-thirds attack ads, one-third bio.
65%: Anti-Robinson abortion ad titled “Audra.” It shows clips of Robinson speaking about abortion, interspersing them with a woman saying an abortion ban would put women at risk.
25%: Standard pro-Stein ad called “Workers” that talks about cutting taxes and increasing job training.
10%: The final ad is called “Sheriffs,” but I haven’t been able to find a link to the 30-second version, but it’s probably based on this testimonial-style video from blue-county law enforcement officers.
The Democratic Attorney General’s Association has booked TV ads promoting U.S. Rep. Jeff Jackson in the AG race. So far, I’ve seen about $150,000 in spending in Charlotte, for spots during Jeopardy, Wheel of Fortune and the news. But DAGA has promised to spend $4 million on the race, so count on more to come.
Buncombe N.C. House candidate Ruth Smith (R) has paused her planned TV ad campaign in the Asheville market due to the hurricane. She was slated to go up with $50,000 worth of ads on WLOS this week. Smith is running against Democratic state House Rep. Lindsey Prather in Asheville.
Top digital spenders this cycle
Moving forward, we’ll report out weekly spend. But since this is the first one, we’ll give you the last 90 days — from Independence Day to the start of October.
Planned Parenthood drops $1.5 million on N.C. texting, door knocking, mailers
Some of the larger expenditures are pro-Josh Stein text message ads, according to a campaign finance report.
However, Planned Parenthood is also door-knocking or text messaging for a dozen General Assembly candidates, including:
N.C. House candidate Nicole Sidman (D-Mecklenburg)
N.C. House candidate Evonne Hopkins (D-Wake)
N.C. House candidate Beth Helfrich (D-Mecklenburg)
N.C. House candidate Jon Berger (D-New Hanover)
N.C. Senate candidate David Hill (D-New Hanover)
According to the filing, Planned Parenthood got $3 million in donations on Sept. 6 from North Carolina Families First, which itself appears to be a shell organization that hasn’t filed any campaign finance reports in two years.
Important Reads
Mountain Updates (Charlotte Ledger)
Helene flooded mostly red counties. Will that impact the election? (Steve Harrison, WFAE)
Question of the Week
The General Assembly is slated to begin meeting this week to consider an aid package for Hurricane Helene recovery. What is a potentially over-looked need that should be considered?
Send me an email at andrew@longleafpol.com or simply reply to this email with your answer. This Friday, we’ll publish a few of the best answers. When responding, let me know if I may republish your comments — either with your name or anonymous.