GOP reserves $1.75M for ads in Calif. Senate race

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US Senate candidate and former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina celebrates her primary win at the California Republican Party event on California Primary Election night on June 8, 2010 in Anaheim, California.

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Republicans have reserved $1.75 million for television ads to help Carly Fiorina in the final week of the California Senate race.

The buy signals GOP optimism about unseating three-term Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer in November.

Amber Marchand, a spokeswoman for the National Republican Senatorial Committee, confirmed the decision to invest in the bid of former Hewlett-Packard CEO Fiorina. Previously, the committee had declined to say where it would be putting its money going into the Nov. 2 election.

The committee has been reluctant in the past to spend money in California races because Democrats have a huge edge in voter registration and races are so expensive.

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