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U.S. Rep. Mia Love's campaign is locking up more than $1 million in television advertising, twice what she spent in 2014 when she won Utah's 4th Congressional District seat.
Her campaign strategist, Dave Hansen, said this isn't a sign that she expects a closer race with Democrat Doug Owens, but a reaction to the move to mail-in balloting in Salt Lake County and most of the metro area.
Those ballots will be sent to voters in mid-October and can be returned immediately.
To make sure the campaign reaches early voters, Love's team will start running a heavy slate of ads on Sept. 6 on major network-affiliated stations and cable.
The overall reservation is worth $1,008,000 and the campaign expects to send the cash soon.
Hansen said the reason to lock up the time now is to get a cheaper rate and reserve the spots the campaign wants.
Owens' campaign has yet to reserve ads and declined to comment on the Love reservation.
Love's campaign says its internal polling shows her with a solid lead, but major political handicappers say this contest is a tossup.
Love beat Owens by 5 percentage points in 2014.
In that contest, she spent $500,000 on advertising, with most of the spots either touting her background or reaching out to female voters with messages about education and "kitchen table" issues.
Hansen wouldn't say what the ads would focus on this time around, though the campaign will start filming next week.
The House Majority PAC, a national Democratic group, has also reserved about $380,000 in Utah advertising in the lead up to Election Day. That could be an indication that outside political organizations may pile in to the race if it remains competitive.