McCarthy-aligned group’s midterm ad spending nears $200M

The Congressional Leadership Fund (CLF), a Republican super PAC aligned with House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (Calif.), is pumping out $14 million in new ad reservations in 15 districts, bringing its total advertising spending this cycle to nearly $200 million.

Axios first reported on the CLF ad buy.

The new funding will go toward races in Florida, Maine, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, New Mexico and Pennsylvania, the group said Monday.

Republicans are feeling good about their chances of winning back the House majority this fall, as they only need to gain a handful of districts to do so.

But the political momentum has shifted in the last two months, leading Democrats to hope that at a minimum they can keep GOP gains down.

Republicans running in Florida’s 27th Congressional District and Maine’s 2nd Congressional District received the largest amount of funds in Monday’s announcement, at $2 million each.

In the Florida district, freshman Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (R) is running for reelection against state Sen. Annette Taddeo (D). The Cook Political Report rates the seat likely Republican. Monday’s ad buy is the first made in the district.

In Maine’s 2nd Congressional District, former GOP Rep. Bruce Poliquin and attorney Tiffany Bond, who is running as an Independent, are challenging Rep. Jared Golden (D) for his seat. Golden, a two-term congressman, has bucked his party on a handful of occasions, particular when it comes to legislation involving firearms.

The race is rated a toss-up by Cook. In August, the CLF funneled $800,000 into the district.

The CLF on Monday also announced its first ad buy in Oregon’s 4th Congressional District — $700,00 — where candidates are looking to replace Rep. Peter DeFazio (D), who is not seeking reelection in November.

State Labor Commissioner Val Hoyle (D) is running against veteran Alek Skarlatos, a Republican. The seat is rated lean Democratic by Cook.

The majority of the districts receiving funds in Monday’s announcement, 11, are rated as toss-ups by Cook. Two are rated lean Democratic, one is lean Republican and one is likely Republican.

“We’re in a great position to elect a new Republican Majority,” CLF President Dan Conston said in a statement. “We’ll continue expanding our arsenal and laying down the additional firepower we need to take the fight to Democrats and win.”

The CLF said it will continue to funnel more money into ad reservations as Election Day nears. The group announced a $37 million ad buy at the end of August.

House Majority PAC, a group aligned with Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), has spent $157.1 million in advertisements, according to Bloomberg.