Democrats hoping to pick up a Senate seat this year have few better options than in New Hampshire. Six years ago, Senator John Sununu barely snuck by then-Governor Jeanne Shaheen. This year, Shaheen is back, and given the strong Democratic tilt the Granite State took on in 2006, she looks like the early favorite.

Shaheen, who announced her bid in the fourth quarter, raised an impressive $1.2 million for the period ending on the last day of the year, Politico reports. She has some catching up to do, as Sununu ended September with $2.1 million in the bank.

Senate Republicans gave Sununu a little boost of their own, elevating him this week to a seat on the Senate Finance Committee to replace Senator Trent Lott, who resigned last month. That perch should give the freshman Senator another valuable platform from which to rake in the big bucks.

One thing is clear: Saturating the media market in New Hampshire is an expensive proposition. A single point in the Boston/Manchester media market runs at $527, and while Portland and Burlington markets are less expensive -- $91 and $76 per point, respectively -- they're still important markets to hit. Both cover prime Republican territory; the Portland market covers the northern portion of the state, while Burlington stations are beamed into the western corner, which also covers Democratic strongholds around Hanover.

Full coverage in the Boston/Manchester market -- that is, 2,000 points for a week -- will run a campaign just over $1 million. That market covers about 80% of the state's population. Add to that special interest group spending and money from the party committees, both of which, as John Ensign suggested, have their eyes on the seat, and the tiny Granite State looks set to shape up as one of the most expensive races in the country.