At least $4.1 million spent on TV ads through primary

Posted at 6:16 PM on August 8, 2010 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Campaign 2010, Campaign 2010: Minnesota Governor

With just two days to go until the August Primary, the three DFL candidates for governor spent $3.4 million on TV ads in the Twin Cities media market. Factor in the outside groups and the total increases to at least $4.1 million.

A check on the station's public files show that former legislator Matt Entenza spent the most money, $1.9 million. He ran 5129 ads on KSTP, WCCO, KARE, KMSP, KSTC, WFTC and Comcast from April through Tuesday. Entenza pumped at least $4.5 million of his own money into the race.

Former U.S. Sen. Mark Dayton nearly $1.1 million to run 2903 ads on Twin Cities stations. Campaign finance reports show that Dayton has spent at least $3.3 million of his own money on the race.

Minnesota House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher, the DFL endorsed candidate, spent $404,478 on 1143 ads in the Twin Cities market.

The Alliance for a Better Minnesota, MN Forward and the National Organization for Marriage also bought ad time. Several stations, including KSTP and WCCO, have refused to disclose how much those organizations have spent because they aren't required by law to release the information.

The analysis only includes ad time bought at the Twin Cities TV stations. Candidates and groups could have also bought time in Duluth, Rochester and Mankato.

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