Bachmann has faced a battery of negative headlines in recent weeks. Bachmann launches 2014 TV ads

Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann isn’t facing reelection for 17 months, yet she’s already beginning to air TV ads in an effort to defend her seat.

Bachmann, a conservative firebrand who waged an unsuccessful 2012 presidential campaign, has bought around $85,000 in TV airtime in the suburban Twin Cities area, National Journal reported, citing Federal Communications Commission records and an ad-buying source.


The purchase comes at a remarkably early point in the 2014 cycle — House members do not typically begin running commercials until the year of the election — and indicates how seriously the congresswoman is taking her reelection. Bachmann is facing a rematch against Democrat Jim Graves, a hotel company executive who came within just 5,000 votes — or 1.2 percentage points — of defeating her last year.

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Bachmann, one of Capitol Hill’s most formidable fundraisers, has a big cash reserve to draw from. During the first fundraising quarter, she brought in $678,000 and reported having more than $1.8 million on hand.

A Bachmann spokesman did not respond to a request for comment.

The congresswoman has faced a battery of negative headlines in recent weeks, with the Federal Election Commission and Office of Congressional Ethics opening investigations into allegations that she paid an Iowa state senator to work for her presidential campaign — a potential violation of the legislature’s rules.

National Democrats are promoting Graves as a top prospect. Graves spent $250,000 out of his own pocket in the last race. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee recently named the Minnesota Democrat to a party initiative aimed at boosting high-profile recruits.

In 2012, Graves hammered Bachmann for her presidential bid, saying she had ditched the state to pursue her national ambitions. The congresswoman hit back by calling Graves too liberal for the 6th District, which tilts conservative.

In an email message, Graves said he had not seen Bachmann’s new commercial.

“Candidly, I’m not very interested. I have two priorities I’m focused on. The first is the concerns of the 6th District, which are employment and creating a more welcoming environment for business,” he said. “The second is speaking to folks — face to face, across the 6th District — about how we will solve those problems together.”