W.Va. Races Hit with Large, Last-Minute Ad Buys (Updated)

The Associated Press reports that the state Chamber of Commerce, with help from its national counterpart and allied groups, have spent nearly $700,000 on ads attacking Attorney General Darrell McGraw, a Democrat.

AP also reports that this chamber-led coalition has plunked down another $403,000 "on ads promoting Beth Walker, the sole Republican candidate in the two-seat state Supreme Court race."

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, meanwhile, has reserved $775,000 worth of ad airtime to support party nominee Anne Barth in her race against Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-2nd, The Charleston Gazette reports.

But Capito is not without surrogates: the National Association of Realtors Political Action Committee "has spent nearly $700,000 on TV ads and direct mail advertising promoting Capito's re-election," that article said.

Update: W.Va. Chamber President Steve Roberts talks to MetroNews' Talkline about the ad buys (with audio), and an official from McGraw's office responds (also with audio).

Update II: The chamber has hired Mentzer Media Services, the chief producer of the Swift Boat ad campaign credited with assisting in the defeat of John Kerry in 2004.