Reports show a large gap in spending so far in the Congressional race between Mike McIntyre and David RouzerWILMINGTON, NC (WECT) – We're starting to get an idea of some
political strategy playing out in North Carolina's Seventh Congressional
District race between incumbent Rep. Mike McIntyre and his challenger, state
Sen. David Rouzer.
Reports filed with the Federal
Communications Commission show the Mike
McIntyre for Congress campaign has booked more than $770,000 worth of
advertising time with two broadcast television stations in the
Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill market (WRAL, WTVD). The market includes Johnston County where Rouzer showed strength in
the GOP primary against Ilario Pantano. Rouzer defeated Pantano in Johnston County
by more than twelve thousand votes, which helped him secure the nomination by a
little less than three thousand overall votes.
Johnston and Lenoir counties became part of
the Congressional District in the North Carolina General Assembly's
redistricting plan approved in 2011.
The FCC reports for the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel
Hill market do not include any media buys for David Rouzer for Congress. The latest report filed by the Federal Elections
Commission showed McIntyre's campaign had more than $1 million cash on hand as
of June 30, compared to Rouzer's $171,608. Rouzer spent more than $500,000
during the primary run against Pantano.
Mike
McIntyre for Congress has also booked more than $207,000 worth of
ad time on WECT in the Wilmington market through November 5, and another
$11,000 on Fox Wilmington. David Rouzer for Congress has made its first ad buy in the Wilmington
market, committing $16,000 for ads on WECT between August 23-28, and $2,440 on
Fox Wilmington. It may be the center of Rouzer's focus, considering he lost all
five counties in the Wilmington market in the primary.
These numbers do not reflect ads
purchased by Political Action Committees which support the candidates. The National Republican Congressional Committee has already
stated its plans to spend more than $800,000 to target McIntyre in his bid for
re-election.
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