When Andrew Bot flips on the TV, it's like he can hear all the political races he's been covering, reaching this crescendo.

So if you're an average person in Iowa, you watch your local news. Every break is political ads.

Teresa Greenfield is not who she says she is.

You'd think Joni Ernst would stand up, speak up.

She does not share our values.

A real Iowa leader would stand for what's right, not for what's easy.

Andrew reports for Iowa PBS.

There's very few ads able to sneak in there to get your heating and cooling system ready for

the winter. It's almost all political ads, wall to wall.

Where Andrew lives, just outside Des Moines, there are ads for local statehouse candidates,

congressional candidates. But a lot of these ads, they'rehouse candidates, congressional candidates.

But a lot of these ads, they're for the local Senate race, where an upstart Democrat is looking to unseat incumbent Republican Joni Ernst.

Joni Ernst, a much more well-known commodity, is talking about how much she supports Iowa, how she's a true Iowa,

and also is playing a little defense on key issues, including health care. Does it surprise you to see Joni Ernst an incumbent

senator in Iowa on the defense here? It should surprise anybody that's watched Iowa because

Joni Ernst is a Republican star.

Joni Ernst is the vice chairman of the Republican Senate conference, a close ally of Mitch McConnell.

And despite all that, she's in the fight of her political life.

Can we talk about the Senate race and just how much money is pouring into it?

Because I was looking at the numbers, and they seemed kind of bananas to me over here in New York.

The numbers are astronomical.

The Iowa race, and it's hard to wrap your head around this, is the second highest, most expensive Senate election,

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