HARTFORD -- Campaign season may have started months ago, but Connecticut is finally coming down with a political fever.
Connecticut’s political "party" will grab national headlines soon. Many campaigns are focused on the April 19 primaries in New York right now, but the Constitution state primaries on April 26 are quickly approaching, and candidates are starting to invest here.
Michael Ryan, the president of the Connecticut Broadcasters Association, pointed out that it's exciting to still be in play this late in the game. During the 2008 primary season, Connecticut's voting took place on Super Tuesday in February. Usually, the nominees are known by the time we hit April.
"Who thought going into this campaign season that Connecticut would still be in play this late in the game? You know, the last time in 2008 the primaries were in February, now we’re seeing things that are in play as late as April," Ryan said.
Supporters could be seen entering and exiting the Berlin-based Donald Trump Connecticut headquarters on Tuesday with signs and posters supporting their candidate.
Meanwhile, Bernie Sanders, a Democratic senator from nearby Vermont, is running five different commercials in Connecticut. Data from the Federal Communications Commission shows his campaign has more than $400,000 in advertisement bills in the state so far. Warren Gill, regional press secretary for the Sanders campaign, told FOX 61 the TV spots are part of their final push after months of rallies, door knocks and phone banks across Connecticut.
Public records show Hillary Clinton's commercials raked in more than $115,000 for local TV stations in just four days. The public push by her campaign came shortly after the opening of five offices around the state.
“We’re excited that they now, we now, can back all of our grassroots leaders up with the resources of a nationwide campaign,” said Michael Mandell, state director for Clinton's camp.
"We’ve seen an influx in the last couple of weeks in terms of that ad spending here in advance of the April 26 primaries. Right now, most of that’s on the Democratic side, but I think once the Republicans are factored in, I think we’ll see an uptick of about $750,000 to a million dollars that comes into the market," Ryan said of the ad-spending landscape so far.
So while the Democratic candidates told us how much they've spent to-date, the Republicans' staffers were a bit more tight-lipped.
Staffers for Republican Ohio Gov. John Kasich wouldn't reveal to FOX 61 his TV strategy or if he'll open Connecticut headquarters, but the Republican already rallied in Riverside and Fairfield recently and has plans to hit Hartford later this month.
Meanwhile, Ted Cruz’s Connecticut campaign is cloudy, with no record of TV ads, no events scheduled and there's been no word of where or when he may open Connecticut election headquarters. FOX 61 inquires to Cruz's press contacts went unanswered.
Gary Rose, a political science professor at Sacred Heart University, predicted the following regarding Cruz last week: “I have a feeling Cruz and Trump will probably visit the state. I’d be surprised if they didn't because every state that has a contest, they do show up in.”
Political ad spending in Connecticut hit about $800,000 in the first quarter of the 2008 election. Current estimates put 2016 spending past that -- anywhere from $850,000 to $1 million.
"It’s exciting," Ryan added about Connecticut's impending time in the political limelight. "The stations like yours and the others across the state now have the chance to cover a meaningful campaign—they get to vet the issues, they get to talk to the candidates, presumably from whom the pool of which you’ll find the presidential, the next presidential candidate—the next president, I should say.
