Oz and Fetterman prepare fastballs for World Series TV ads
- Hans Nichols, author of Axios Sneak Peek
Bryce Harper hits a go-ahead 2-run home run in the NLCS to take the Phillies to the World Series. Photo: Rob Tringali/MLB Photos via Getty Images
Republicans and Democrats battling for Pennsylvania's toss-up Senate seat are preparing their 9th inning pitches to undecided Phillies fans in Game 1 of the World Series on Friday night.
Why it matters: Finding undecided voters this late in the game is always a challenge. But a televised World Series kicking off in a swing state 10 days before Election Day gives both camps a prime — and expensive — opportunity to make their closing arguments.
Driving the news: Republican Mehmet Oz, a celebrity doctor, and Democrat John Fetterman, the sitting lieutenant governor, are locked in one of the tightest races in the country, with control of the Senate hanging in the balance.
- The Mitch McConnell-aligned Senate Leadership Fund and Oz’s campaign plan to run ads across Pennsylvania media markets during the World Series. SLF has bought a seven-game package for roughly $700,000.
- The Senate Majority PAC, which is affiliated with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), is going up with an abortion-related ad expected to cost around $100,000 for a single Game 1 spot on Philly's Fox29, according to the Inquirer.
Between the lines: Live sporting events are among the last places to find voters that are difficult to reach.
- And while buying those events is expensive, campaigns know that they’ll get a cross-section of the electorate.
- Another opportunity for the campaigns: Sunday's NFL matchup between the 2-5 Pittsburgh Steelers and the 6-0 Philadelphia Eagles.