Oct 27, 2022 - Politics & Policy

Oz and Fetterman prepare fastballs for World Series TV ads

Hans Nichols

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.

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Oz and Fetterman prepare fastballs for World Series TV ads

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