Despite the fact his general primary opponent has yet to concede, scientist Bill Foster (D), who comfortably won his special primary, is charging out of the gate with a “significant” ad buy in IL-14. Beginning tomorrow a.m., the campaign will begin a 1-week ad buy on broadcast TV. Here’s the ad:
A broadcast TV ad buy is a big move, but the condensed schedule of the special election – it’s 3/8 – makes such moves necessary. Already, both candidates have tried to engage the other on topics they feel the other is vulnerable on. Foster, in his ad, on Iraq, and his opponent, dairy magnate Jim Oberweis (R), used the day after the 2/5 primary to challenge Foster on taxes.
Foster, however, fired the first broadcast shot, and it certainly won’t be the last. Both camps spent about $1.3M in the primary, and with the expensive Chicago media market, that figure seems likely to be duplicated in the next month.