As CNY race for Congress heats up, number of TV ads grows in Syracuse-area market

Sep. 1--If you've watched television for any length of time, you may have seen commercials featuring U.S. Rep. John Katko touting his legislative record or Democratic challenger Dana Balter highlighting her job as a bartender and server while attending college.

There have been several other ads, too. Balter's campaign has criticized Katko's vote for the 2017 tax law that, the Syracuse Democrat argues, imperils the Affordable Care Act. Katko's campaign has panned Balter's support of Medicare for All and the cost of expanding the program.

As of Monday, the two candidates have released 12 ads in the 24th Congressional District. That's not including ads funded by outside groups, such as the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and National Republican Congressional Committee, that are airing in the Syracuse media market.

The volume is likely due to two factors, but a third might be part of the equation, too.

While the latest fundraising numbers won't be available until mid-October, it's believed that Balter and Katko are raking in large amounts of cash. Producing and airing TV ads isn't cheap, so the number of TV ads indicates that the campaigns aren't struggling to find financial support.

The ads released by the candidates, along with the commercials paid for by outside groups, show that it's a competitive race. Both parties view the 24th district as a key House battleground this year. Republicans want to retain this central New York seat as they aim to reclaim the majority. Democrats hope to win it to add to their advantage in the House.

John Balduzzi, a veteran Democratic political consultant and president of The Balduzzi Group, noted that the ads paid for by outside groups are like based on polling that shows it's a close race.

"It's up for grabs and everyone is just kind of buying in that this is a highly targeted race," he said.

There is another explanation for the uptick in campaign ads before Labor Day and more than two months before the general election. The COVID-19 pandemic has altered campaigning for candidates across the country. Balter, who won the Democratic primary in June, spent the last few months of the primary election campaigning on virtual platforms and using phone calls instead of door-knocking to communicate with voters.

Balter and Katko are starting to attend small-scale events again, but there are limits due to the ongoing health crisis.

Dr. Luke Perry, a government professor at Utica College, thinks the TV ads are part of campaigns' efforts to increase their virtual presence in the midst of the pandemic.

"They're trying to generate positive attention for their candidacies and draw negative criticism toward their opponents," Perry said. "When you're not having weekly or daily campaign events that can garner media coverage, campaign ads are one way to try to do that."

Balduzzi agreed that there may be more TV ads, but for different reasons. He pointed to the lower rates due to the economic collapse and companies deciding to either scale back or eliminate TV advertising as part of their marketing plans.

But there are challenges for those like Balduzzi who produce campaign ads. He has clients in other states and travel amid the pandemic is difficult. He does think, though, that more money may be available for TV ads because campaigns are spending less on other aspects of their operation, specifically door-to-door efforts.

COVID-19 has put a greater emphasis on health care, which is traditionally one of the most important issues -- or the issue -- in congressional races. Most of the ads released by Balter and Katko have focused on health care in some form, whether it's Balter criticizing Katko's vote for the tax law, which she thinks threatens the Affordable Care Act, or Katko's ads claiming Balter supports a government takeover of health care that would raise taxes for millions of Americans.

Balduzzi isn't surprised that health care is a hot topic in the 24th district race.

"It is the issue everywhere," he said. Obviously, with COVID-19, it augments that. It makes it even more of a top issue. This is going to be a health care campaign."

The ads are just beginning in the 24th district. Most polls show that it's a close race -- either Balter or Katko are leading by a few points, or it's a dead heat. At this point four years ago, Katko was on the air with three TV ads. His opponent, Colleen Deacon, had one.

As money pours in for both candidates, it's expected that they will use a good chunk of those funds to pay for more ads. And outside groups will likely ramp up their advertising in the final weeks of the campaign, especially if polling shows that it remains a close race.

"At the end of the day, TV is still the most effective way to communicate a political message," Balduzzi said. "All things being equal, you just go up on TV. That's the best way to get eyeballs on your message."

Politics reporter Robert Harding can be reached at (315) 282-2220 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @robertharding.

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