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When the Democratic presidential primary circus comes to town, downballot candidates in most states know they can expect above-average primary turnout and a more engaged electorate. In states like Nebraska, however, which held its Democratic presidential caucuses on February 9 but doesn't have congressional primaries until May 13, there's a greater hurdle involved in getting supporters to the polls. Call it the fervor gap.

Advertising is just one method candidates can use to reach voters, but it's one that can take on an outsized importance when distances are far, voters are few and engagement is low. No surprise then that both Democrats running to replace retiring Sen. Chuck Hagel (R) have purchased ad time in order to introduce themselves to Nebraskans, particularly in Omaha and Lincoln, the state's biggest cities and home to the highest concentrations of registered Democrats.

Tony Raimondo, a businessman making his first bid for public office, launched his first two TV spots this month. The first, "Great Boss," features employees of Raimondo's manufacturing plant in Columbus telling viewers about their boss's background while praising his leadership and business skills. "Tony took over a failing company and built it into a Nebraska success story," they say in the ad. Raimondo goes it alone in his second spot, in which he argues that the war in Iraq is distracting us from domestic priorities and we need to "honorably bring our troops home."

A week after Raimondo's first ad hit Nebraska airwaves, it was joined by a bio spot from primary opponent Scott Kleeb. The ad emphasizes Kleeb's experience as a rancher and his commitment to bringing Nebraska values to Washington. It's also intended to reach Democrats outside the district where Kleeb unsuccessfully ran for Congress in 2006. "In the 3rd District, he's extremely well-known," said Kleeb spokesman Joe Zepecki. "But particularly in the parts of the state where he didn't run, the ad is an introduction to him and his family's long history here."

The spot's emphasis on unspecified "change" and post-partisan pragmatism echoes what have already become familiar themes in this election cycle, and could become even more so for Democrats in heavily Republican states like Nebraska. "Our message is pretty easy to get your head around," Zepecki said. "The way you change the country is to get people in Washington to act a little more like people here in Nebraska, which means hard work and common sense. It's not about a Democrat idea or a Republican idea. It's about a good idea."