WASHINGTON — Television advertising to influence governors' contests has doubled compared with 2006, as wealthy candidates, political parties and a slew of special-interest groups pump millions into 37 races, an analysis of political commercials shows.
Outside groups have emerged as bigger players, spending nearly $28 million from Sept. 1 to Oct. 7. There were triple the number of ads such groups ran in the same period in 2006, according to the Wesleyan Media Project, which tracks political advertising.
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Overall, gubernatorial candidates, political parties and others spent $162.2 million to air 293,000 commercials during the five-week period. That's twice the number of ads broadcast four years earlier.
"These are historic spending levels of advertising," said Erika Franklin Fowler, the project's co-director and an assistant professor of government at Wesleyan University in Connecticut. "The sheer volume of advertising is one prime indication that both sides understand how high the stakes are."
Democrats currently control 26 of 50 governors' seats. Seventeen of the 37 races are rated as tossups by the non-partisan Cook Political Report.
Governors will influence policy on issues such as taxes, same-sex marriage and implementation of the new federal health care law. Many also will help draw new boundaries for legislative and congressional districts following this year's Census.
The spending surge comes mostly from non-profits that can raise unlimited amounts from corporations, unions and wealthy individuals. That's partly a result of a Supreme Court ruling in January that opened the door for corporations and unions to pump millions directly into ads calling for the election or defeat of candidates.
Outside groups are spending nearly equal amounts to benefit Republican and Democratic candidates in governors' races, said Travis Ridout, a political scientist at Washington State University, who co-directs the ad analysis.
The Republican Governors Association has spent the most of outside groups: $11.8 million to underwrite nearly 17,000 spots between Sept. 1 and Oct. 7. Little-known groups also are spending heavily, although their party affiliation does not have to appear in the advertising.
Bay State Future, for instance, has spent more than $2 million in TV ads to attack Republican Charles Baker, one of two candidates trying to oust Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, a Democrat. Its chairwoman, Barbara Weniger, is a prominent Democratic contributor and the owner of a bakery in suburban Boston.
The group receives financial backing from labor groups and the Democratic Governors Association, Weniger said. "I really don't think the average voter would be surprised" that Democratic-affiliated groups are helping to fund anti-Baker ads, she said.
In Florida, a group called Let's Get to Work, spent nearly $7 million on ads between Jan. 1 and Sept. 15 to help Rick Scott, who is now the GOP nominee, Wesleyan's data show. Scott, a multimillionaire health executive, created the group, which was funded by more than $11 million from Scott's wife.
Scott spokesman Brian Burgess said the group, which took its name from Scott's campaign slogan, was created as a "transparent antidote" to "outside shadow" groups that opposed his candidacy during the primary. Scott faces Democrat Alex Sink on Nov. 2.
