UPDATED: House Democrats Begin TV Ads for Endangered Incumbents

Rep. Janet Yang Rohr (D-Naperville) is getting a boost in her run for re-election with new TV ads that began airing Tuesday.

At least four endangered suburban House Democrats and another Democrat competing for an open seat are the first legislative candidates to hit TV for the fall campaign.

According to our television sources, Rep. Mark Walker (D-Arlington Heights), Rep. Anne Stava-Murray (D-Naperville), Rep. Maura Hirschauer (D-Batavia), and Rep. Janet Yang Rohr (D-Naperville) all began airing cable TV ads yesterday.

Each buy runs for two weeks. Walker is spending around $19,000, Stava-Murray is spending around $48,000, Yang Rohr, who does not currently have a Republican opponent, is dropping around $51,000, and Hirschauer is spending around $53,000.

UPDATE (3:17 P.M.): Add Rep. Dave Vella (D-Rockford) to the buy. He goes on TV in Rockford Wednesday at the cost of around $13,000.

Democrats are also spending around $12,000 for Diane Blair-Sherlock who faces Republican Robert Stevens in the new 46th House district in DuPage County.

Democrats also appear to be spending on direct mail pieces, too. They have vastly more resources than Republicans and will hoping by flexing muscles in key races they can knock out GOP candidates before they get off the ground.

We couldn’t find any of the TV ads online last night, but we’ll try to get them today.

NewsPatrick Pfingsten