Conservative interests are pushing attack ads in push for the confirmation of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, already spending more than $7.5 million in ads compared to the $1.3 million spent by liberal interests.
Spending analyzed by Politico and Advertising Analytics show the ad spending is focused on Sens. Doug Jones, D-Alabama; Joe Manchin, D-W.Va.; Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D.; Joe Donnelly, D-Ind.; Susan Collins, R-Maine; and Republican Lisa Murkowski of Alaska.
Conservatives, led by the Judicial Crisis Network, have been outspending liberals for years in the Supreme Court campaigns, including in the pushes to block President Barack Obama's nominee, Merrick Garland and to confirm President Donald Trump's first nominee, Neil Gorsuch.
Demand Justice, on the liberal side, has pledged $5 million to fight Kavanaugh.
"JCN, the Kochs and the NRA will still drastically outspend our side, but it will probably be closer to 6- or 7-to-1 instead of the 20-to-1 edge you saw on Gorsuch,” said former Hillary Clinton press secretary Brian Fallon, who leads Demand Justice.
NARAL-Pro Choice America estimates that conservative groups have pledged more than $30 million for Kavanaugh.
JCN alone has already has spent more than $5 million on television ads overall, with $2.1 million targeting Senate Democrats, and the spending is not expected to slow down, said Carrie Severino, chief counsel for JCN, as it spent $10 million on Gorsuch.
The NRA has also spent more than $1 million on pro-Kavanaugh ads, and pro-Trump group America First Policies has spent $850,000 of the $1.2 million it plans to spend, according to Advertising Analytics.
The Koch network also plans to spend a seven figure sum supporting Kavanaugh, but has used canvassers and phone calls to pressure senators rather than spending money on advertising.