Virginia Congressional Ad Spending Tops $82 Million, With Hampton Roads Races the State's Costliest
In Norfolk, Virginia, an analysis by the Virginia Center for Investigative Journalism at WHRO shows campaign organizations, interest groups and political action committees have spent more than $82 million on television and radio ads for Virginia congressional candidates in recent months, with the Hampton Roads area leading the state in political ad spending.
The heaviest spending is in the 2nd District race between Republican Representative Jen Kiggans and Democratic challenger Elaine Luria, with roughly $13 million going into television, broadcast and digital messages. According to candidate ad spending figures published by the nonpartisan Virginia Public Access Project, Luria's campaign has spent $7.7 million to Kiggans's $5.2 million. Overall, Democratic candidates have outspent Republicans $24.1 million to $13.4 million; the totals do not include advertising by outside groups.
In Federal Communications Commission filings, Portsmouth-based WAVY-TV led all outlets with $14.35 million in ad orders, followed by Norfolk's WVEC at $11.17 million and WTKR at $10.36 million; together the three accounted for about 44% of the television purchases reviewed. Democratic Senator Mark Warner, running statewide, has spent more than $7 million on ads. With Election Day on November 3 approaching, the scale of the ad war reflects how contested Virginia's congressional seats are.
(Source: WHRO)
Source: WHRO
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：弗吉尼亚州诺福克滨水区与汉普顿锚地水域。Steve Riggins 摄，CC BY 3.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Photo: The Norfolk waterfront in Hampton Roads, Virginia. By Steve Riggins, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
