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Mike Bloomberg Aiming to Launch TV Ads on Monday (EXCLUSIVE)

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Mike Bloomberg’s presidential campaign is in the process of reserving TV ad time in the states that will vote on March 3, according to two sources familiar with the matter.

The sources said the campaign is planning to begin the ad blitz on Monday. One source said the campaign was looking to book airtime in 20 to 30 markets, while the other said the buy was expected to last for one month.

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A spokesperson for Bloomberg declined to comment.

The former New York mayor filed paperwork on Thursday with the Federal Election Commission to launch his campaign. However, his advisers cautioned that he still had not made a final decision on whether to run. An announcement is expected soon.

Bloomberg’s team has said he will skip the first four primary states — Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina — and focus instead on Super Tuesday. The 14 states that will vote on March 3 include the two largest, California and Texas, and together represent about 40% of the U.S. population. Bloomberg has already filed to appear on the ballot in three of the March 3 states: Alabama, Arkansas and Texas.

The Associated Press reported Wednesday that Bloomberg also plans to spend $15 million to $20 million on a voter registration drive in five key battleground states. That campaign would be separate from Bloomberg’s run for the Democratic nomination. In addition, Bloomberg has said he will spend $100 million on digital ads attacking President Donald Trump during the primary season.

Bloomberg would enter a crowded Democratic field, which already includes 17 other contenders. Deval Patrick, the former governor of Massachusetts, just announced his own candidacy last week. Two polls released this week showed Bloomberg at just 3% support nationwide, about even with businessman Andrew Yang.

But with a net worth of $53 billion, Bloomberg has the resources to make himself better known.

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