Senate Republicans unleash massive ad campaign in Blue Wall states
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A super PAC linked to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R- Ky.) is hitting the Blue Wall with $42 million in new ad spending through Election Day, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: Senate Republicans appear to be abandoning Arizona and Nevada in favor of toss-ups in Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Ohio.
- If they can win one of those four — and hold off an upset in Nebraska, Texas or Florida — they'll pad their expected majority.
The Senate Leadership Fund (SLF) has not reserved a single dollar at this point to help GOP candidates Kari Lake in Arizona or Sam Brown in Nevada in the closing stretch.
- That leaves it on track to be outspent by over $13 million in Arizona and Nevada over the next two weeks by the Senate Majority PAC (SMP) linked to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.).
- The two PACs are going toe-to-toe in Ohio and Pennsylvania, but a spending surge from SLF gives it an edge of around $8 million in Michigan and Wisconsin.
Zoom in: The two leadership PACs are on track to spend well over $55 million this year in Montana, which has just under 800,000 registered voters.
- SMP has reserved $6.1 million for the next two weeks versus $5.5 million for SLF.
Between the lines: SLF has reserved $2.8 million in ads in deep-red Nebraska to protect Sen. Deb Fischer, who is facing an unexpectedly stiff challenge from independent candidate Dan Osborn.
- SMP is having to spend $1.8 million in deep-blue Maryland, where former Republican Gov. Larry Hogan is giving Democratic candidate Angela Alsobrooks a tougher-than-expected challenge.
