An outside GOP group is airing ads against New Mexico's Democratic candidate for attorney general, while a Democratic group is attacking the Republican secretary of state.
And if you’re counting down to Election Day, include at least 5,000 political ads on TV in your tally. That’s about the number of ads currently scheduled to run between Friday and Nov. 4.
But that’s only about 18 percent of more than 27,000 TV ads that have been contracted to air for New Mexico campaigns during 2014.
Political ad contracts for New Mexico candidates and committees now top $10.3 million and 226 hours in filings through Oct. 17.
That’s according to a New Mexico In Depth analysis of filings by traditional TV stations with the Federal Communications Commission. The analysis doesn’t include ads on cable or satellite TV or radio; those outlets don’t have to file ad contracts with the FCC.
Expect candidates and campaigns to file more ads in the final two weeks of the campaign, though most already on the air have time scheduled through Election Day.
Of the ads yet to air, 30 percent of those scheduled to run are from Republican Gov. Susana Martinez’s campaign. Martinez has spent nearly $3 million on TV ads thus far. Democratic challenger Gary King ran ads earlier this month, but doesn’t have more scheduled at this point.
Here’s a look at the ads still to air:
The Republican Attorneys General Association is stepping in to help Susan Riedel in her quest for the open attorney general seat. She’s being outspent by Democrat Hector Baldaras, who has support from the Committee for Fairness and Justice, operated by the Democratic Attorneys General Association.
But in the final two weeks, the RAGA is significantly outspending the Democrats to run ads critical of Baldaras.
And a federal super PAC is airing ads attacking GOP Secretary of State Dianna Duran, as reported by the New Mexico Telegram. SoS for Democracy is primarily funded by billionaire investor George Soros. The group identifies the New Mexico race between Duran and Democrat Maggie Toulouse Oliver as one of eight to watch in the nation.
Duran and Toulouse Oliver also are spending significantly, though Duran has an advantage during the final weeks, while Toulouse Oliver began airing ads earlier than the incumbent.
Here’s a look at ads by affiliation, where Martinez gives Republicans a significant edge:
And here’s an overall look at 2014 political advertising by advertiser, including those that ran in the primary:
Fish, NMID’s data journalist, can be reached at fish@nmindepth.com or on Twitter @fishnette.
