GOP nabs ad edge in key Senate battlegrounds

Republicans have an advertising advantage in four key Senate races after a recent influx in spending from outside groups, an analysis of political spending has found.

More ads have been aired in Alaska, Colorado, Iowa and Kentucky for Republican Senate candidates than Democratic candidates over the past two weeks, according to a new report from the Wesleyan Media Project that looked at advertising in the states between Sept. 12 and 25.

{mosads}That’s movement from the group’s report two weeks ago that found Democrats had so far outspent Republicans in nine of the 10 most competitive Senate battles, trailing only in Alaska.

A nearly $1 million spending advantage by pro-GOP groups over the two-week period has helped eliminate the gap on the number of ads run in North Carolina for Sen. Kay Hagan (D) and House Speaker Thom Tillis (R). Two weeks ago Hagan benefitted from nearly 950 more ads running in the state than Tillis.

In Iowa, which saw about equal advertising between the sides as of two weeks ago, ads favoring Republican Joni Ernst now outnumber those for Rep. Bruce Braley (D) by more than 1,500 spots. Of the top 10 races, Iowa has the largest percentage of ads sponsored by outside groups, at 62 percent.

Independent groups sponsored a majority of ads for Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), helping to reverse the single-digit advertising edge for Democratic challenger Alison Lundergan Grimes. 

More than 50 percent of ads run in Colorado have supported Rep. Cory Gardner (R-Colo.), a major swing from incumbent Sen. Mark Udall (D-Colo.)’s 16-point advertising advantage two weeks ago. There, the majority of pro-GOP ads came from outside groups.

Republicans have also cut into the advertising edge for Democrat Michelle Nunn in Georgia, from 32 percent of total advertising to 44 percent going toward Republican David Perdue.

It is not all bad news for Democrats, however. Spots supporting Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) over Rep. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) have grown from 57 percent to 65 percent of total advertising.

Alaska has remained relatively unchanged, with 52 percent of ads favoring Republican Dan Sullivan over Sen. Mark Begich (D-Alaska).

More than 40 percent of pro-Republican ads in Alaska, Colorado, Iowa and Kentucky were sponsored by outside groups, based on an analysis of ads run between Sept. 12 and 25.

This post was updated at 1:21 p.m.