PITTSBURGH — Insiders expect the U.S. Senate race between Mehmet Oz and John Fetterman to be one of the most expensive of all time in Pennsylvania — perhaps even surpassing the spending in 2016 when Republican Pat Toomey defended his seat — and the main battleground may be the airwaves.
A Pittsburgh Post-Gazette survey of various political advertisers found that Democratic and Republican powerhouses have already booked at least $67 million in advertising spots for the November election, with most of the reservations starting in the fall. Oz and Fetterman seek the Senate seat from which Toomey is retiring.
Some of the spots are starting to trickle onto the battleground state's commercial breaks as both parties see Pennsylvania as one of the central arenas for control of the Senate at a time when abortion rights are under attack, the economy continues its free fall and President Joe Biden suffers historically low approval ratings.
