TV time could be hard to come by in the 17th

With the Republican primary in the 17th Congressional District only three weeks away, candidates in the crowded field could find name recognition—and the TV often needed to buy it—a tough commodity to afford. The central Pennsylvania district sits in a relatively inexpensive media market, but few candidates have raised the money needed for a sustained TV ad blitz. Still, Republicans Frank Ryan and Allen Griffith said last week that they’re preparing ad campaigns that will provide maximum bang-for-the-buck exposure, even if it’s not on TV.

Griffith, a former minister, said his campaign would be airing radio ads soon, and still hasn’t ruled out some limited TV time. His campaign had a little less than $11,000 in the bank at the end of March, according to campaign finance data.

“We believe we are gaining momentum and will be working tirelessly for the next five and a half weeks until the primary,” Griffith told pa2010.com. “We know of no polling, but believe we will be multiplying our impact as the weeks go on.”

Josh First, another candidate, may be working under a similar budget—he finished the period with a little under $13,000 in campaign cash. And Ryan, a military veteran who has tried to unseat incumbent Congressman Tim Holden (D-17) before, boasted about $34,000 in his war chest at the end of March, making some limited TV ad buys very much an option. He said he plans a mix of radio, TV and direct mail.

“We’re thinking about it, where the polling indicates the greatest center of gravity is,” Ryan told pa2010.com. “We’re looking at more door-to-door and more grass roots orientated.”

Ryan’s campaign manager, Toni Gilhooley, was the Republican nominee against Holden in 2008, and Ryan hopes her experience will help bring similar results.

State Senator Dave Argall (R-Schuylkill), the party favorite and widely-perceived front-runner, appears to be in the best shape for a sustained ad blitz in the final three weeks; he had about $105,000 on hand at the end of March. An Argall campaign aide could not be reached for comment.

Holden is expected to easily win renomination against primary challenger Sheila Dow-Ford.