Republicans are outspending Democrats by $30 million in five key Senate race states. In Ohio, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Alabama, and Wisconsin, the GOP is outspending the Democratic Party $37.2 million to $7.5 million in U.S. Senate campaigns across radio, TV and digital. The total amount is from booked ads from Dec. 28, 2021-Jan. 18.
The mid-term elections are important for the Republican Party, which hopes to retake the Senate. This, combined with a number of high-profile retirements, including Rob Portman (R-OH) and Pat Toomey (R-PA), is fueling the political ad spend, Ad Age notes. Primaries in these states take place on May 3 and May 17, respectively.
In Pennsylvania, TV personality, surgeon and author Dr. Mehmet Oz has spent $2.9 million, while fellow Republican hopeful Dave McCormick dropped $1.8 million. Businessman Mike Gibbons has invested $6.8 million vying for the Republican Senate nomination in Ohio. Close behind is state senator Matt Dolan who has spent $4.5 million in ads.
Meanwhile, Colorado Senate hopeful Joe O’Dea, who is petitioning to be added to the June Republican primary ballot, launched a radio campaign on Jan. 26. According to ColoradoPolitics.com, O’Dea’s camp is spending $125,000 on the campaign that is running on talk radio stations across the Centennial State. The publication says of the seven hopefuls running for the GOP nomination, O’Dea is the only one who has spent money on radio and TV. O’Dea invested $100,000 on an introductory TV ad that ran in the Denver and Colorado Springs markets in October 2021.
Overall estimates of total advertising in the 2022 midterm election cycle range from $7.5 billion (BIA) to $7.8 billion (Kantar). A recent webinar held by the Alabama Broadcasters Association (ABA) focused on how broadcasters can increase their political ad revenue during the current election cycle.
“[Timing] is critically important because like snowflakes in July, political money disappears,” Revenue Development Resources President Mark Levy said. “It's not like the furniture store who didn't buy in this week but decides you're going to be the better place for them to put their money next time around. If you don't get this money now, you won't get it, pure and simple.”
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