Matthew Hamilton reports in Capitol Confidential that the challenger to incumbent Republican state Sen. Kathy Marchione -- who represents a district that includes parts of Columbia and Rensslear counties -- is airing his first television ad more than a year before the election. “One of the things we are trying to do also is simply raise just general name recognition,” says Shaun Francis, a Democrat, with an uphill battle. That starts with a $1,200 buy on cable TV. “When it comes to next year and polling starts to happen by DSCC and other groups, if they’re polling and people are saying, ‘Oh my God, I’ve never even heard of this person,’ that doesn’t bode well,” Francis said. Read the full story in Capitol Confidential.

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