By Gram Slattery
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – AFP Motion, a significant conservative advocacy group backed by billionaire Charles Koch, is rolling out over $4 million value of digital advertisements beginning on Monday backing Republican congressional candidates all through the nation.
The advert purchase, first disclosed to Reuters, will buoy Republican Senate candidates in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Ohio, Montana and Nevada. In all of these states, Republican challengers are locked in comparatively tight races with incumbent Democratic senators.
Whereas Democrats presently maintain a 51-49 Senate benefit, they are going to be defending a number of aggressive seats when voters go to the polls on Nov. 5, and Republicans have a strong likelihood of flipping management of the chamber.
The advert purchase, the group’s largest one-time buy this cycle, will even help 11 Republicans vying for Home seats in 5 states, together with battlegrounds Michigan, Arizona and Pennsylvania.
The group is spending $3.5 million for advertisements in Senate races and $549,500 on Home races, with $1 million devoted to supporting the candidacy of Pennsylvania Senate candidate David McCormick (NYSE:). The most recent advertisements will run on a number of digital platforms, together with streaming providers.
Thus far this election cycle, the group has spent barely over $15 million supporting Republican congressional candidates, excluding the most recent purchase.
“This advert purchase is a continuation of our ‘Firewall Technique’ to stop one-party progressive rule in Washington,” AFP Motion stated in an announcement.
AFP Motion has not historically thrown its weight behind presidential candidates. This cycle, nonetheless, the group supported Trump challenger Nikki Haley within the last months of the Republican nominating contests.
The group finally reduce off Haley in February after she misplaced the first in her residence state of South Carolina, and stated that it could deal with attempting to win the Senate and defend the Home, the place Republicans maintain a slim six-seat majority.
The content material of the advertisements differ, although they largely assault Democrats for failing to comprise inflation and safe the U.S.-Mexico border. Polls persistently present each points to be main vulnerabilities for Democrats.