Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire is taking steps to protect her uncertain reelection bid against a possible Republican wave this November, placing a $13 million advertising buy to bolster grassroots organizing.
Hassan’s massive advertising blitz is set to begin in the fall, her campaign announced Friday, roughly eight months before Election Day. The move comes as generic ballot polling shows a plurality of voters would prefer Republican majorities in the House and Senate and a robust GOP primary to pick a nominee to face Hassan gets underway in New Hampshire.
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Republicans are optimistic about their prospects in New Hampshire, despite Gov. Chris Sununu choosing to take a pass on the 2022 Senate race. Democrats argue the GOP’s confidence is misplaced, although Hassan’s $13 million ad buy suggests she is girding for a difficult campaign.
“While we expect a competitive race, the Republican field faces an uphill climb to victory,” Hassan campaign manager Aaron Jacobs wrote in a memorandum that was released to the press. “No matter who the Republicans nominate, they will enter the general election tarnished as a reliable vote for [Senate Minority Leader Mitch] McConnell and his corporate special interest agenda.”
The leading candidates in the Sept. 13 Republican primary are Chuck Morse, president of the New Hampshire Senate, and Kevin Smith, a former state legislator.
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Polls of hypothetical general election matchups conducted last year suggested Hassan was vulnerable against Sununu, although she performed well against other Republicans in more recent surveys.
