Kilroy buys $220K for TV, Stivers reserves $1.5M

The candidates for the 15th Congressional District are preparing to launch an air war beginning next week, with ad buy totals fast approaching $2 million.

Franklin Co. Commissioner Mary Jo Kilroy (D-Columbus) has spent $222,000 for three-weeks of television advertisements on broadcast and cable outlets, beginning Monday, Aug. 18, according to public records reviewed by PolitickerOH.com. Kilroy will spend $168,910 on broadcast and $53,015 on cable.

Meanwhile, state Sen. Steve Stivers (R-Columbus) has reserved $1.5 million in advertising on broadcast television alone for Sep. 9 to Nov. 3, according to Stivers’ campaign. The campaign has not reserved time on cable yet. Stivers can wait to actually purchase the advertising until the day before his ads air, albeit with at a higher cost than purchasing earlier.

It’s highly probable that the National Republican Congressional Committee will air additional TV ads, according to a person involved with the NRCC. The race has attracted a high amount of interest from the NRCC and House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-West Chester). Republicans think Kilroy’s high negatives from her 2006 race against U.S. Rep. Deb Pryce can be exploited. The source said television ads would likely remind voters why they don’t want to vote for Kilroy, drawing from her last campaign.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee previously announced that it has reserved $1.2 million in advertisements for the race.

Kilroy's communications director Brad Bauman said the ad buy shows the campaign is healthy and positive.

"Our media placement shows the strength of Mary Jo's campaign and her vision to change Washington," Bauman said.

Stivers campaign manager Mike Hartley said the campaign looks forward to bringing it message to people en masse through TV.

“It will allow us to present Senator Stivers’ message of bringing common-sense solutions to a Congress broken by bickering and partisanship,” Hartley said.

The 15th district race is ranked as the 6th most competitive U.S. House race in the country on The Pindell Report. Politicker.com Managing Editor James Pindell calls the race a toss up.