Democratic gubernatorial candidate Shri Thanedar is spending nearly $900,000 on TV advertising over the next month, culminating with a new ad his campaign will run during the Super Bowl.

The latest, broader buy is about seven times what he spent to air an initial ad in December.

Thanedar, a scientist entrepreneur who's self-funding his campaign, unveiled a second ad last week and is working on a third one for the Super Bowl that will cost $150,000 to $200,000 to air. He's focused on four markets: Detroit, Grand Rapids, Lansing and Flint/Saginaw, which he says account for 75 percent of Democratic primary voters.

In the latest ad, one of Thanedar's sons says his dad immigrated to America with just $20 and "a dream" before building small businesses and creating jobs.