Senate Democratic nominee Edward J. Markey’s new campaign advertisement is less about Markey himself than it is about President Obama, a televised distillation of the heavy infrastructural advantage Markey enjoys over Republican nominee Gabriel E. Gomez.
In fact, Markey’s only speaking role in the 30-second spot, which is entitled “Folks†and begins airing today, is to deliver the boilerplate tagline stating his approval of the message.
Obama, shown at the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center podium where he campaigned for Markey on Wednesday, enthuses, “Ed has been a champion for middle-class families and small businesses. He’s stood up for common-sense laws to keep our children safe from gun violence. I’ve got to have folks with me who care as passionately about these things as I do. That’s who Ed Markey is. I need Ed Markey in the United States Senate.â€
At the 28-second mark of the spot, which Markey’s campaign said would air statewide, Markey makes his first appearance, onstage with an arm around Obama, as, offscreen, he identifies himself and recites his message-approval line.
Markey’s campaign declined to answer questions about how much money the campaign spent to air the ad or how long it would be on TV.
The ad frames neatly the advantage Democrats enjoy in Massachusetts, where Obama has remained significantly more popular than he is in other parts of the country. Markey’s campaign has sought to leverage that dynamic to its hilt as the June 25 election approaches. Michelle Obama helped raise $700,000 for Markey in Boston last month. Obama led Wednesday’s rally. Former president Bill Clinton is scheduled to campaign in Worcester on Saturday. Vice President Joe Biden will hit the Brockton area next week, Markey told state lawmakers on Thursday.
Markey has outspent Gomez by nearly $4 million between April 11 and June 5, according to Federal Election Commission reports, Roll Call reported on Friday. Markey raised $3.1 million and had $2.3 million left in cash. Gomez, through donations and a $300,000 personal loan, pocketed a total of $2.1 million during the same period, and had $997,000 in the bank, the newspaper reported.
Markey spent $5.5 million and Gomez spent $1.6 million during the roughly two-month stretch, which included the final 19 days of the two party primaries.
Jim O’Sullivan can be reached at James.OSullivan@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JOSreports.
