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Between now and Nov. 6, candidates and outside spending groups will be launching new television ads and sending out new campaign literature daily - or at least it will seem that way.

In the 8th Congressional District, where Republican Rep. Chip Cravaack and his DFL opponent Rick Nolan are tangled in one of the most competitive races in the country, House Majority PAC, a group set on putting more Democrats in the U.S. House, has launched a new ad targeting Cravaack for his votes on Medicare.

"What Happened?" plays on a theme common to ads targeting Cravaack - his votes in support of two Republican budget plans that 

. It's estimated that one version of the plan would have cost future seniors several thousand more each year.

, that highlights what he would do if elected to Congress.

Across the state, voters will be getting mailers from Americans for Prosperity, a group founded by conservative donors Charles and David Koch that advocates for smaller government and lower taxes.

The $2 million direct mail effort will criticize President Barack Obama for his stance on the debt and deficit, and federal spending.

Minnesota is among nine states that will be getting the fliers, the other eight including swing states Florida, Ohio, North Carolina, Iowa and Colorado. At this point, polls show Minnesota is likely to back Obama.

sees Minnesota as part of its long-term strategy to shift voters to the right

. In August, the group ran more than $1 million in ads in the Twin Cities market targeting Obama's policies.

And for about a year, the group has had a local office that has weighed in on legislative races and the Vikings Stadium issue.

Politics and Government News

Capitol View®

Catharine Richert

Author

Right and left launch new campaign efforts

Ads, mailers and more ads

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