SOUTH BEND — The presidential race is pumping millions of dollars into the state’s economy, and some local businesses are getting a piece of the political pie.

It's usually Notre Dame football season that keeps the Marriott in downtown South Bend busy, but now it’s “primary season” that’s bringing in the business.

“It's sold us out three times in the last three weeks,” said Gina Schumacher, director of sales and marketing at Marriott.

Between the candidates and their staff, the Secret Service and the national press, behind the scenes, businesses are benefiting.

“They also stay here,” said Schumacher. “They frequent the restaurants in the area because it's typically not a one night visit."

The campaigns have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in local advertising.

When there’s a local event it can mean setup and equipment rentals for items like fencing and lights.

“There are a lot of things that go into it — a lot of people, a lot of different companies,” said Josh Stith at AAY’s Rent-All. “So, you have to make sure all your ducks are in a row, to make it go properly."

The General Store in South Bend is usually a quiet place, but on Sunday Sen. Hillary Clinton stopped by for a visit.

“The whole store was filled with cameras and lights like a movie set,” said owner Martha Lewis.

The store made the front page of the newspaper and Lewis saw it on the national news.

She says that’s coverage she couldn’t buy. “It's good for me and it's good for the store,” said Lewis.

The Convention and Visitor’s Bureau in South Bend hopes the same for the city. They say any positive portrayal in the national news is free advertising for the city.

They do point out, however, that the candidates’ visits also come at a cost because they all require police and security.