WASHINGTON — The National Republican Congressional Committee has reserved ad time in Minnesota to support freshman Rep. Chip Cravaack's re-election bid.
Roll Call reports the $856,000 worth of post-Labor Day ad time in the Minneapolis media market will go toward supporting Cravaack and U.S. Rep. Sean Duffy, who faces a tough re-election contest in his northwestern Wisconsin district. Nationwide, the NRCC reserved $18.2 million in ad time spread over 27 congressional districts.
Cravaack is one of national Democrats' top targets in 2012, by virtue of his upset defeat of longtime Democratic U.S. Rep. Jim Oberstar in 2010. The NRCC added Cravaack to its incumbent support program in April.
Three Democrats are running in an August primary to win the right to challenge Cravaack this fall. In April, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee reserved $3 million of ad time in Minneapolis, part of which will be spent targeting Cravaack.
Devin Henry can be reached at dhenry@minnpost.com.