The number of political ads running in the key eight battleground states has reached historic levels fed by a tight presidential race and record-breaking spending by Republican-leaning super PACs, according to the nation's ad monitoring authority.

With over five weeks to go in the election, ad spending in the swing states has already topped 2008's high rate and all but one state--Florida--has experienced a surge of 150 percent or more, with Iowa absorbing a 356 percent jump in political ad spending.

According to Kantar Media's CMAG report, the spending is way higher than in 2008. They break down the spending by Electoral Vote. Just consider New Hampshire ad spending. They report: "New Hampshire, for example, has seen $4.3 million in TV advertising for each one of its four electoral votes. Overall in 2008, it saw $1.75 million in spending for each of its four electoral votes."

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The percentage increases for the eight key battleground state are:

Florida - 141 percent.

Nevada - 194 percent.

Iowa - 356 percent.

Ohio - 176 percent.

North Carolina - 206 percent.

Colorado - 164 percent.

Virginia - 157 percent..

New Hampshire - 246 percent.

Kantar's Elizabeth Wilner noted in her report that independent ad spending, mostly from GOP-leaning groups, has surged this year.

"Republican groups account for about 89 percent of all outside group ad spending in the Obama-Romney race; the partisan split in 2008 was basically even," she said. The money spent is staggering. She estimates that independent group have spent $119 million, Democratic-leaning groups $15 million. In 2008, they spent about $5 million each.