Proxies dominate early campaign ad wars in Michigan
According to the Michigan Campaign Finance Network, the candidates’ television campaigns account for less than 20 percent of the TV advertising in the 1st Congressional District, the 7th Congressional District and the gubernatorial campaign. Of the campaigns currently most active on television, the 9th Congressional District is the only one in which candidates’ ads predominate.
Governor
Republican nominee Rick Snyder hasn’t bought a television ad since the August 3rd primary election. In his stead, the Republican Governors Association has purchased $2.1 million worth of ads through October 3rd.
On the Democratic side of the campaign, Virg Bernero has spent $995,000 for television advertising, while the Michigan Democratic State Central Committee has spent $2.4 million through October 3rd.
There is nothing new about candidate-focused “issue” advertising in Michigan gubernatorial campaigns. There was $18 million worth of such advertising in the 2006 gubernatorial race, and almost $10 million worth in the general election phase of the 2002 gubernatorial. What is new this year is the fact the Republican Governors Association is leaning on broadcasters to withhold records of its buys from the stations’ public files, and some of the stations are complying.
