Senate Democrats have unveiled a $79 million advertising plan to boost their chances of keeping the majority in the upper chamber after November.
Democrats are headed toward Election Day with a narrow 51-49 majority in the Senate as hopeful Republicans look to retake it. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) plans to spend more than $79 million in television, digital and radio advertising starting in nine states, according to a committee aide.
“Senate Republicans’ roster of unvetted, unpopular candidates bring disqualifying personal flaws and toxic policy positions to their races — when general election voters learn about them they’ll see why they should be nowhere near the U.S. Senate,” DSCC Executive Director Christie Roberts said in a statement to The Hill.
“This advertising campaign will make the choice in each Senate race clear, enables the DSCC to communicate with voters in the most effective way and ensures we protect Democrats’ Senate majority,” Roberts added.
The aide said that the committee’s independent expenditure will make its initial television, digital and radio reservations in Arizona, Florida, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas and Wisconsin. Michigan will have more than $11 million in television reservations, Wisconsin will have $10 million and Pennsylvania will have $8 million.
The committee will also put $2 million into radio reservations in Montana. Additional states may be added to the reservations as the election cycle continues, the aide said.
Politico first reported on the advertising plans on Tuesday.
Democrats need to defend 23 seats in November’s election, including in red states where former President Trump is expected to clinch victories in. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) announced he would be retiring from the upper chamber last year, setting up a steeply uphill battle for Democrats in the state.