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Maine’s race between Republican U.S. Sen. Susan Collins and Democratic challenger Troy Jackson has generated more than $137.6 million in TV advertising since Jackson clinched his party’s nomination in late July.
It’s already the most expensive race in state history by ad reservations that we track using the online platform AdImpact. Here are five numbers shaping the election right now.
— 46. That’s roughly how many campaign ads the average Maine TV household has been exposed to since Jackson clinched the nod. This figure only covers broadcast television, so cable, satellite and streaming ads aren’t included. Real-world exposure is much higher.
— 254,063. Republicans have booked that many gross ratings points on Maine broadcast TV since Jackson entered the race. This figure is the best way to calculate actual ad volume, marking a 21% Republican advantage across the three Maine media markets.
— $82.1 million. That’s the total Republican spending on the race’s TV air war since July 26, versus $55.5 million on the Democratic side, per AdImpact. Republicans are spending a ton, but they are getting less bang for their buck because they’re more reliant on outside groups that pay higher rates than campaigns.
— $263. To that point, Democratic advertisers are paying that much per rating point, compared with $323 for Republicans, meaning Democratic money is buying about 19% more airtime per dollar spent.
— 7%. Republicans’ ad volume advantage was way steeper in ads that have already aired through Sept. 15. But reservations afterward show Democrats closing to within 7%, suggesting the ad war could tighten heading into the stretch. But more time could be booked that changes the formula.