Posted on 09/14/2010 10:35:55 PM PDT by MitchellC
The National Republican Congressional Committee is set to go up with new ads this week against a pair of incumbents who had previously been considered lower tier targets this fall, providing further proof the House playing field still very fluid with 49 days to go before the elections.
According to a GOP strategist who tracks ad buys, the NRCC has placed an $82,000 buy against Rep. Rick Boucher (D) in Virginia's 9th district as well as a $45,000 buy against Rep. Mike McIntyre (D) in North Carolina's 7th district. The ad buys are for the week of Sept. 17-23.
Neither Boucher or McIntyre was included on the original list of 45 districts that the NRCC said it will target this fall with about $24 million in ad buys.
Boucher faces Republican Morgan Griffith, the majority leader of the state House of Delegates. Griffith was quickly moved up the NRCC's candidate recruitment list after he entered the contest early this year, but his fundraising has been lackluster thus far. Boucher's southwestern Virginia district is very cultural conservative and Republicans view him as especially vulnerable because of his vote last year for a climate change bill that included a "cap and trade" system to limit greenhouse gas emissions.
The inclusion of McIntyre is a bit more surprising.
While the 7th district slightly favors the GOP and went for Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) by 5 points in 2008, McIntyre is a conservative Blue Dog Democrat who has never earned less than 69 percent of the vote since winning his seat in 1996. Republicans have spent more time talking up their chances in the neighboring 8th district this cycle, but in a favorable environment GOP strategists may be looking to target McIntyre for supporting the controversial stimulus bill this cycle. Republicans nominated little known veteran Ilario Pantano (R) to challenge McIntyre.
Interesting ... they’ve been hard on this district (NC-7) this cycle.
Consider that they haven’t committed to NC-8 or NC-11. It makes me wonder if they think those races are in the bag, or if they’re testing NC-7 with a small buy just to see how in play it really is. Or, if they’re trying to trick the DCCC into wasting money...
ping
There's also the matter of the couple million outside groups are throwing in against Shuler/Kissell/Etheridge et al.
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