ASHINGTON - Although their reelection is not in doubt, some Massachusetts congressional lawmakers spent thousands of dollars on advertisements, consultants, and fliers in recent weeks, according to the latest filings with the Federal Election Commission.
Representative John Olver of Amherst spent the most on advertising, $168,390, for a slate of TV commercials bought from a Washington firm this month. Olver's Republican challenger, Peter Abair, spent $933 on advertising in September.
Senator Edward M. Kennedy spent about $160,000 on radio ads and $52,366 on a direct mail campaign in September. Jack E. Robinson, Kennedy's GOP opponent, spent $8,671 during the same period, $532 of which went toward printing.
''Sometimes an incumbent might view a campaign as an opportunity to send a message to voters even if they don't feel threatened'' in the election, said Kennedy's pollster, Tom Kiley, whose firm Kiley & Co. was paid $12,800 by the senator in September. But such spending ''is the exception rather than the rule,'' he said.
Representative James McGovern spent $13,761 this month on radio advertisements featuring Robert Redford. The ads, broadcast in Central Massachusetts, highlight the Worcester Democrat's efforts to fund the Land Water Conservation Fund.
''This is a time when people are tuning into politics,'' said McGovern's spokesman, Michael Mershon. ''It's a good time to highlight your record, to say thank you.''
Three lawmakers - Martin Meehan of Lowell, Richard Neal of Springfield, and Edward Markey of Malden - listed no media consultant or ad expenses in the reports.
Most members spent hundreds of dollars printing fliers, and additional money on fund-raisers and travel.
Other uncontested lawmakers gave large portions of their campaign war chest to help other Democrats in tighter races. Representative William Delahunt of Quincy gave $50,000 to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee this month, while spending $11,255 on his own campaign from Sept. 1 to Oct. 18.
The Democratic committee received $30,000 from Newton Democrat Barney Frank - his largest single expenditure - and $100,000 from Representative J. Joseph Moakley of South Boston.
Olver campaign spokesman Adam Hinds said there is some ''future thinking'' that ad spots may provide for other elections. ''It's always nice to cement John Olver's image with the voters, to share with them the issues he's fighting for,'' Hinds said. ''Essentially, we're working to get the most bang for our buck and reach the most people in key areas.''
Representative John Tierney has used fund-raisers, direct mail, and print ads to try to get out the vote. Overall, spending is much less this year than for previous elections, said Tierney's campaign manager, Michael Goldman. ''You never want to be lazy,'' he said. ''It means people will say, `Maybe he is vulnerable.'''
Tierney spent $44,924 from Aug. 31 to Sept. 30, $8,103 of which went to printing. He listed $2,240 in expenditures to a Florida-based consultant firm. His Republican opponent, Paul McCarthy, spent $8,787.
