A national Republican committee headed by former RNC Chairman Ed Gillespie and former Rep. Tom Reynolds is has so far spent $873,623 to help the Senate GOP in its quest to take back the majority.

According to its first report filed by the Republican State Leadership Committee, the cash breaks down as follows:

– $139,603 on TV and radio ads in opposition to Democratic Sen. Brian Foley – one of the minority’s top targets who is running neck and neck in the 3rd SD with his opponent, Lee Zeldin.

- $279,979 on TV ads opposing Democratic Sen. Dave Valesky in the 49th SD. According to the Siena poll, Valesky has a comfortable lead over his GOP challenger, Andrew Russo.

- $333,136 on TV ads in the 48th SD opposing Democratic Sen. Darrel Aubertine, who, when Siena last checked, was trailing Republican Patricia Ritchie by three percentage points.

- $120,880 on TV ads in the 58th SD opposing Democratic Senate candidate Tim Kennedy, who defeated Sen. Bill Stachowski in the Sept. 14 primary and, according to Siena, trails GOP Assemblyman Jack Quinn , 42-39, with Stachowski receiving 12 percent of the vote on the WFP and Independence Party lines.

I reported back in the beginning of the month (second item) that the RSLC would be dropping close to $1 million to help the GOP in three upstate districts and in one Long Island district.

There’s more interest at the national level than usual in the battle for control of the Senate due to the redistricting angle. If the Republicans win back the majority, they will have the upper hand in not only drawing their own lines, but also deciding which of the two congressional seats the state stands to lose will be erased.

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