Republicans make $25M investment in Senate races

Republicans are investing $25 million in six close Senate races as Election Day nears, Politico reported.

{mosads}The investment comes from the Senate Leadership Fund, a super PAC that has ties to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.).

Steven Law, the Senate Leadership Fund’s president, told Politico that Democrats are outspending Republicans.

“Over the last two weeks, we’ve seen every liberal Democratic group descend on these races,” Law said. “Democrats feel like the presidential race is in the bag for them and are looking for fresh game in the Senate.”

Law said the $25 million investment would help to close the gap in spending.

Senate Leadership Fund spokesman Ian Prior confirmed the figures in an email to The Hill.

Republicans will spend about $7.5 million in Nevada, where there is a close contest between Rep. Joe Heck (R) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D) to replace Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid, who is retiring. 

The group will spend more than $5 million in Pennsylvania to protect Sen. Pat Toomey; $4 million in Indiana to support Rep. Todd Young; more than $3 million on TV airtime in North Carolina on Sen. Richard Burr’s reelection; and more than $2 million in New Hampshire, where Sen. Kelly Ayotte is in a tough reelection fight, and in Missouri, on behalf Sen. Roy Blunt.

“This isn’t a cheap date,” Law told Politico.

It was not made clear where the money was coming from.

Law said the group’s backers know “we’re going to take casualties, but that we’re going to go out guns blazing.”

The National Republican Senatorial Committee is also spending big to defend GOP incumbents in Missouri and North Carolina and make a play for the open Nevada seat.

The NRSC started running its own ads in Missouri on Tuesday morning.