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Pa. misses out on media attention and millions in business, ad revenues.

King’s College political science professor Dave Sosar said Pennsylvania’s late presidential primaries leave the state “stuck on the sidelines picking nominees.”

And that’s bad news for media organizations. Restaurants, hotels and rental car businesses in the state are missing out on millions of dollars that campaigns spend in the earlier primary and caucus-holding states.

Throw in the nationally televised debates, the national media attention and the chance for glad-handing and pose-with-baby pictures that candidates are used to in Iowa and New Hampshire.

“They get lots of attention and lots of money,” Keystone College political science professor Jeff Brauer said. “Incredible amounts of ad buys go into local media markets.”

The candidates and their supporters spent $12.5 million on television ads alone, reported ABC news, citing the Campaign Media Analysis Group. In South Carolina, about the same amount was spent on campaign advertising, according to the same firm.

Chuck Morgan, general manager at WNEP-TV in Moosic, said he would love the primaries to be moved up in the state so radio and television stations and newspapers could benefit from the campaign cash. “It would be tremendous for local media,” he said.

And a tremendous financial loss for the travel and tourism industry, too, said Merle Mackin, the director of the Luzerne County Convention and Visitors’ Bureau.

He estimated that just Northeastern Pennsylvania would see an influx of about $100,000 per day if the state’s primary were held in January, February or even March.

“But it’s more than just the actual dollar amount,” Mackin said. “More important is the national spotlight on these communities. It gives them the opportunity to showcase their communities.”

Mackin said that whenever he watches news reports on the early primaries and sees the large number of media members and campaign staffers and entourages, he wonders what could have been has Pennsylvania moved its primary to an earlier date.

As one of the key battleground states, and with Northeastern Pennsylvania being a true battleground region, he said he’s sure candidates and their campaigns would set up operations in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre region and spend tons of money on food, lodging, gas, groceries and more.

“It’s a huge economic impact. I mean tremendous,” Mackin said.