“The rule in advertising when it comes to repetition is just when you think you’re sick of it, run it some more. Penetration is only achieved with repetition.”
-Westchester Political Strategist George Hudak
By Dan Murphy
With Labor Day behind us, the official start of the political season has begun, and the #1 race that Americans’ will be watching here in Westchester on Nov. 5 is the race for Congress in the 17th District, between Congressman Mike Lawler and former Congressman Mondaire Jones.
Lawler, a republican, was elected two years ago by just 1,820 votes. Jones, a democrat, represented the district in 2020. Both parties understand the importance of this race in determining which party will control the House of Representatives in 2025 and are pouring millions of dollars into each campaign.
Mondaire Jones announced a first week advertising buy of more than $1M acrossbroadcast TV, cable TV, streaming, and digital. With this ad buy—an unusually large amount of spending nine weeks out from Election Day thanks to his growing fundraising advantage—former Rep. Jones rolled out his first ad of the general election season, “Insurance.” The spot highlights Jones’ Rockland roots and his experience watching his grandmother work past the age of retirement to afford prescription drugs. Unfortunately, Congressman Mike Lawler has a record of opposing lower prescription drug costs for seniors and would allow insurance companies to discriminate against New Yorkers with pre-existing conditions like cancer and asthma.
Lawler has already begun to highlight the difference that he and Jones have on crime. While a member of Congress in 2021, Jones supported a measure that would have allowed convicts including rapists and murderers to vote from prison.
Jones supported the amendment, which was easily defeated. In New York, parolees can vote once out of prison, but not when they are still incarcerated.
“When people are convicted of a crime and are sentenced to, for example, serving time.. that is their punishment,” Jones said in 2021.
“From trying to defund the police, blaming them for ‘white supremacy, to even letting those that kill cops vote, it’s clear Mondaire Jones can’t be trusted with any seat in public office ever again. Voters in the Hudson Valley will make that overwhelmingly clear this November when they reject radical Mondaire Jones and his divisive, extreme ideology once and for all,” said Lawler campaign spokesman Chris Rusel. '
Jones’ campaign spokesperson fired back. “It’s a shame Mike Lawler wants to disenfranchise American citizens. Is this the best he’s got after getting caught on camera saying the plurality of voters in his district—Democrats—`hate this country?’ If Lawler wants to show he supports the police, he can start by apologizing for voting to defund law enforcement three times in his first term in Congress, and by withdrawing his support for a convicted felon named Donald Trump.”
Lawler was joined by members of law enforcement last month to highlight Jones’ what they call his “radical record on policing,” including his comments on defunding the police, and advocating for funding to be moved away from police departments in some of the safest counties in the country.
When he first ran in 2020, Jones touted himself as a “progressive champion,” and his voting record while in Congress made him the third most liberal House member of his term, based on a ranking by the website govtrack.us.
“Mondaire Jones was one of the most radical, hyper-partisan Members of Congress during his two years in office ... and will be an extremist lawmaker again if given the chance,” Russell said.
The question for voters in the 17th district that Lawler’s campaign wants to ask is, does Jones represent your views?
Lawler touts himself as one of the most bi-partisan members of Congress. “While Congressman Lawler was ranked the fourth-most bipartisan member of the 118th Congress, Mondaire Jones ranked 381st during his time in office - alongside the most radical members of 117th Congress,” concluded Russell. “It’s clear who the mainstream candidate is in the race for the 17th District, and it’s not Mondaire Jones - we look forward to reminding voters of that simple truth.”
The two are scheduled to participate in four debates including 3 televised debates, hosted by News12, CBS2, and Pix11. The fourth and final debate the Congressman will participate in is with the New City Jewish Center on October 27th.
One question that many have about campaign mailings and TV ads is, when is enough too much? Is there an oversaturation point, in which voters get angry and tune out at the candidate running too many ads?
“Regarding tv and mail, they are still the most effective method for reaching voters. What determines their effectiveness is the “message” and how it’s presented. The rule in advertising when it comes to repetition is just when you think you’re sick of it, run it some more. Penetration is only achieved with repetition. For the hell of it, just count how many times a day you see a Geico, Progressive or Liberty Insurance.
Since many have cut the “Cord” Cable’s numbers are down amongst younger voters and YouTube dominates, along with Facebook, Google, TikTok. The 60+ age voters are afraid to get rid of their cable box, so they are still News12 watchers. For serious players with big money in competitive Congressional races like Lawler- Jones they will be buying NY Network TV and a ton of it for its reach. TV ads still rule and are not going away anytime soon,” said George Hudak, Westchester political strategist.
Ann Kronrod, a marketing professor at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, authored a paper titled, Ad wearout wearout: How time can reverse the negative effect of frequent advertising repetition on brand preference Kronrod argues that while someone might be temporarily annoyed at an ad appearing time and again, that negative view will fade away, while the member of the ad will remain. “The negative association will quickly decay and only the brand memory will linger.”
