Hillary Clinton will begin airing television ads this weekend in Wisconsin, a state where she has yet to appear on television, as she works to lock down a state seemingly in her column.
Clinton’s buy arrives a few days before a return visit by vice presidential nominee Tim Kaine to the state on Tuesday, and is an attempt in part to shore up the Wisconsin Senate race, where Russ Feingold enjoys a solid lead over incumbent Ron Johnson. A media buying source said that the initial reservations by the campaign were small, and the Clinton campaign described it as merely a “six-figure” buy.
“Wisconsin Democrats have competitive races to win across the state and Hillary Clinton is committed to electing Russ Feingold and Democrats up and down the ballot to help her make a real difference for families in Wisconsin,” said Clinton state director Jake Hajdu.
The buys could represent some concern about Clinton’s performance in the state, but could also be merely a luxury investment given the $62 million in the campaign’s coffers as of Oct. 20.
Clinton herself has not visited Wisconsin during the general election and Kaine hasn’t been there since August. Although Donald Trump once professed the state as part of his path to victory, Clinton has consistently held a 5- to 10-point lead there.
The Clinton investment also coincides with increased GOP attention to Johnson, who has largely been abandoned by national Republicans in favor of other competitive Senate races. Some polls have shown Johnson’s support growing, and the super PAC aligned with Democratic leadership, Senate Majority PAC, said Friday that they would begin a $2 million campaign in the state on Monday after being absent from the airwaves.