October 19, 2006
DCCC Independent Spending Sticking With Top Targets
From National Journal's CongressDailyPM: 
Updated Race Rankings: House **** Senate **** Governors
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee poured more than $11.8 million into independent expenditures in mostly top-tier targets this week, according to last-minute disclosure reports, which also show it spent more than $5 million alone to defeat three Philadelphia-area GOP incumbents.
Newly available reports show the DCCC spent more than $2.1 million against Rep. Jim Gerlach, nearly $1.6 million against Rep. Curt Weldon and more than $1.3 million against Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick. The three Pennsylvania Republicans all represent Democratic-tilting, suburban districts in one of the country's most expensive television markets. Democrats have targeted all three districts, and Weldon's district grew more competitive this week after the FBI raided his daughter's home as part of an investigation into whether he used his influence to secure consulting contracts for her.
In relatively cheaper media markets, the DCCC also spent $754,000 in the district of retiring Rep. Henry Hyde, R-Ill., against GOP state Sen. Peter Roskam; $562,000 against Rep. Clay Shaw, R-Fla.; and $448,000 against Rep. Geoffrey Davis, R-Ky. Democrats, who need to pick up a minimum of 15 seats to win the House majority, have not yet revealed whether they will pour large sums of money into more marginal races in a bid to expand their victories on Election Day. Rep. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., a DCCC co-chairman, told CongressDaily Wednesday the committee is still reviewing how to spend its remaining resources in the final days before the elections. "We are in the process of making the final decisions," he said. "There are always going to be markets where you can increase your investments or make new ones." Van Hollen did not rule out the possibility of a bank loan as large as the $11 million the DCCC borrowed during the 2004 cycle. "Everything's on the table," he said. [MARK WEGNER]
The latest reports show the DCCC spending money on TV ads in 31 districts, and those campaigns are mostly on the offense and in districts considered major battlegrounds. House Democrats reported spending money to defend the open Vermont district of independent Rep. Bernie Sanders, as well as those now held by Reps. Leonard Boswell, D-Iowa, and John Barrow and Jim Marshall, both D-Ga. National Republican Congressional Committee spokesman Carl Forti said his committee has identified the seats held by outgoing Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., and Rep. Cathy McMorris, R-Wash., as two marginal targets in which the DCCC has just reserved air time.
Forti said the NRCC is evaluating its own opportunities and said some decisions can be made as late as 10 days before the election. "Up through the end of next week, you can get into some places," he said. The NRCC is currently on the air with ads in the Boswell, Barrow, Marshall and Vermont districts, as well as against Rep. Melissa Bean, D-Ill. A review of recent NRCC spending, which amounted to over $2.2 million in the past two days, shows most NRCC spending is to defend GOP seats. Meanwhile, the Republican National Committee reported spending $229,000 to shore up NRCC Chairman Thomas Reynolds of New York.
Posted at 04:16 PM
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