A top Republican political action committee on Wednesday booked $5 million worth of fall ads for Colorado’s 8th Congressional District race, confirming that the toss-up seat will likely be home to the state’s marquee general election contest.

The Congressional Leadership Fund, a super PAC aligned with Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana, earmarked the funds as part of its initial $141 million in national ad reservations on TV, streaming and digital platforms across 37 media markets, the group said in a release.

The announcement follows the $4 million in TV ad reservations in the Denver market made earlier by the group’s Democratic counterpart, the House Majority PAC.

Both organizations say they anticipate spending heavily in the battleground 8th CD, where first-term Democratic U.S. Rep. Yadira Caraveo will face the winner of next month’s GOP primary between state Rep. Gabe Evans, R-Fort Lupton, and former state Rep. Janak Joshi, R-Colorado Springs.

Covering portions of Adams, Larimer and Weld counties north of the Denver metro area, the nearly evenly divided district has been targeted by both national parties and could help determine which side wields the gavel in the House when the next Congress is takes office in January.

Republicans like their chances in the district, where Caraveo could face headwinds as an influx of migrants to Denver keeps the divisive issue in the spotlight.

Johnson and other prominent House Republicans have thrown their support behind Evans in the primary, though the Colorado GOP last week endorsed Joshi, who finished the most recent fundraising period with less than half as much money as Evans reported. Looking ahead to November, however, Caraveo finished the last quarter with nearly six times as much cash on hand as Evans.

The Democratic House group also plans to spend a portion of its Denver-market ad reservation to back Adam Frisch, the party’s presumptive nominee in the open, GOP-leaning 3rd Congressional District. Six Republicans are running in a primary for the Western Slope-based seat, which is currently represented by U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert, the Republican who moved across the state earlier this year to run from another district.

Races in the two Colorado districts were among the closest in the country last cycle, with Caraveo winning election by just over 1,600 votes, and Boebert eking out a second term by fewer than 600 votes.

The ad reservations unveiled Wednesday by the GOP group mark an increase of nearly $20 million over the same group’s initial wave last cycle — when the party took control of the House from Democrats by a narrow margin — but lag the Democrats’ $186 million initial national ad buy, which covers 50 media markets.

“This is a significant early down payment on Republicans holding the House Majority,” said Dan Conston, the Republican super PAC’s president, in a statement.

“The map is undoubtedly small, and we are in a dogfight. Yet we are in a stronger position than the mainstream narrative suggests, with a promising political environment and standout members and candidates in the toughest races. Effective campaigns and resources will really matter.”

In a response to the GOP group’s announcement, Mike Smith, president of the Democrats’ House-focused super PAC, expressed confidence in his party’s chances.

“Over the last two years, House Republicans have become synonymous with a dumpster fire,” Smith said in a statement to Colorado Politics.

“From their efforts to push a draconian nationwide abortion ban to failing to secure the border – Republicans have put the American people last time and time again. No amount of money can save them from themselves, and Democrats are going to take back the House in November.”

Democrats need to flip just four House seats to win a majority, though that number could change slightly as the fall election approaches and voters fill vacant seats in special elections.

The groups’ preliminary ad reservations aren’t set in stone and could change as the election approaches, but by booking early, the groups can lock in lower ad rates for September and October ahead of the fall campaign frenzy.