Daily Disclosure: Dems looking to pick up Chicagoland seats

Introduction

Redistricting in the Chicago metro area has endangered Republicans that hold House seats in the already Democrat-dominated region and attracted some major spending by a labor union and a liberal super PAC.

Republican Reps. Joe Walsh, Bob Dold and Judy Biggert are targeted in a new ad from House Majority PAC and SEIU COPE, the political action committee of the Service Employees International Union, as part of a $2.4 million campaign in the region.

The ad shows what appears to be an angry tirade from Walsh and a list of housing and health care votes House Majority PAC calls “extreme.”

Walsh is running in the redrawn 8th District and faces the well-liked Iraq war veteran Tammy Duckworth. Duckworth has the backing of the Now or Never super PAC, which has spent $1.8 million supporting her, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

Walsh is considered one of the most conservative freshman members of Congress and has the backing of tea party-aligned super PACs including FreedomWorks for America.

Dold faces Democrat Brad Schneider, a management consultant, in the redrawn 10th District. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce weighed in with a half-million-dollar ad campaign supporting the Republican. The race is taking place in one of the most Democratic districts in the state, according to The New York Times, and Dold has appealed to his constituency by becoming more of a moderate.

Biggert, running in the 11th District, has a record of being moderate on social issues. She faces former Democratic U.S. Rep. Bill Foster.

She was one of the few Republicans to vote to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and is supportive of abortion rights, according to The Washington Post. She also earned the endorsement of the National Education Association, which usually favors Democrats. The NEA backed her with a $546,000 ad buy at the end of September.

House Majority PAC also released “Hiding,” opposing Biggert specifically, and will release an ad opposing Dold next week.

In other outside spending news:

Conservative nonprofit Crossroads GPS launched a new series of ads targeting Democratic Senate candidates:

• “Vision” opposing Sen. Brown of Ohio cost $1.4 million;
• “Extreme Takeover” opposing Rep. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin cost $1.2 million;
• “Pay the Price” opposing Sen. Jon Tester of Montana cost $727,000;
• “Looming” opposing former Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine cost $544,000;
• “Stamp for Him” opposing former North Dakota Attorney General Heidi Heitkamp cost $245,000.
• Liberal nonprofit Patriot Majority USA reported spending $3 million on U.S. Senate races in North Dakota, Montana and Nevada and on the U.S. House race in Connecticut’s 5th District.
• Crossroads GPS’s affiliated super PAC, American Crossroads, reported spending $388,000 opposing Nelson of Florida, and $110,000 supporting GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney.
• The National Rifle Association Institute for Legislative Action, a nonprofit, reported spending $835,000 opposing Democratic Sens. Bill Nelson in Florida and Sherrod Brown in Ohio as well as the Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in Virginia, former Gov. Tim Kaine.
• Mitt Romney isn’t stylish, wears “mom jeans” and just isn’t cool. Despite his lack of hipness, he is still the best person for the job, says an ad from Crossroads Generation, a super PAC launched in part by American Crossroads and targeted at young voters. It’s called “Vote Responsibly.”
• House Majority PAC in tandem with SEIU COPE released “Stripes,” opposing California state Sen. Tony Strickland, the Republican candidate for U.S. House in the state’s 26th District.
• SEIU COPE also released “Offshore” opposing Rep. Jim Renacci, R-Ohio, in the state’s 16th District.
• AFSCME released “Confused,” a radio ad opposing Rep. Chip Cravaack, R-Minn. AFSCME PEOPLE, the political action committee of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, hit Rep. Bobby Schilling, R-Ill. with a new ad.
• “Debate,” a joint effort from AFSCME PEOPLE and Priorities USA Action, a pro-Obama super PAC, opposes Romney.
• The conservative nonprofit American Future Fund produced “China Motors,” an ad criticizing President Barack Obama for the auto industry bailout.
• “Bailout Joe” from the super PAC Senate Conservative Action opposes Rep. Joe Donnelly, D-Ind., who is running for U.S. Senate in the state against tea party favorite and State Treasurer Richard Mourdock.

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