The race is on for Congress — in mailboxes, on the internet, and more noticeably this past week on the airwaves.
Al Gross, Tara Sweeney, and Nick Begich ads are going in rapid-fire succession over radio and TV in major media markets in Alaska, with just 18 days left until the end of the special primary election for the open congressional seat. June 11 is the final day when people can mail their ballots back to the Division of Elections.
Right now, radio listeners may experience a surge in radio ads from Gross and Sweeney, who are suddenly spending heavily, while Begich has been on the radio for several weeks.
The candidates able to raise money and put it into actual media tend to be the real contenders in the race, experience shows. The expenditures are, as of today:
- The pro-Gross advertising on radio and TV totals $183,000, with much of it recently spent, giving an impression of a surge. Gross has no independent expenditure group working on his behalf.
- The Pro-Sweeney group, including the independent expenditure group Alaskans for Tara, are spending $176,000 on radio and TV. Most of the ad buys are coming from the independent expenditure group.
- Nick Begich’s campaign has booked $200,000 in radio and TV. There is no independent expenditure group spending on TV or radio for this candidate.
- Jeff Lowenfels has booked $34,000 in airwave ads, all in radio. There is no independent expenditure group spending money on broadcast.
- Sarah Palin has booked $30,000 in radio. There is no independent expenditure group spending money on broadcast.
Missing from the radio waves are Democrat candidate Chris Constant and Republican candidate Josh Revak, neither of which has radio or TV ads running, but have some digital ads.
