Gov. Bill Richardson will be the first Democratic presidential candidate to air television ads when his face fills screens in Iowa and New Hampshire beginning Monday.
Richardson’s campaign has purchased a small buy of 30-second and 60-second spots in New Hampshire and a larger buy of about $100,000 in Iowa, according to the Washington Post. The ads will focus on Richardson’s extensive résumé, his view on Iraq and why he’s running, The New Hampshire Union Leader reported.
The Post reported that the buy in Iowa is coordinated to follow Richardson’s visit to the state, which ends today. He gave a speech last night and is making a series of campaign stops today.
“This is an effective way to reinforce the governor’s extraordinary record with the people of Iowa,” Richardson spokesman Pahl Shipley told the Post. “But the ads are just part of the strategy. The biggest piece is campaigning town to town, meeting people and earning votes in person.”
According to the Post, the average viewer in Iowa will see the 30-second ad twice each week and the 60-second ad once. It’s a low frequency for a media buy, but it’s a long time until the Jan. 14 caucuses in that state. It’s not clear if the ad will run longer than one week.
Richardson was laying the groundwork in New Hampshire long before he became a candidate, but he got a late start in Iowa, probably because at the time, former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack was in the race. After Vilsack dropped out in mid-February, Richardson, the only candidate left with gubernatorial experience, became much more active in that state.
Richardson is betting his campaign on the first four primary states – Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire and South Carolina.
Gov. Bill Richardson will be the first Democratic presidential candidate to air television ads when his face fills screens in