With Weeks To Go, Presidential Race Sees Total Ad Spending Top $2 Billion.

With a little under a month to go until Election Day, Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Trump are locked in a $2.1 billion Presidential race. AdImpact says while polling has remained in a dead heat, the spending contest isn’t close. Since Super Tuesday, Democrats have spent nearly twice that of Republicans, $1.3 billion to $768 million.

The Vice President only rose to the top of the ticket in late July, and in the weeks since Democrats spent $1.1 billion on ads and future reservations, over $400 million more than Republicans. In a new report on the Presidential race, AdImpact says three-quarters (74%) of the ad spending went to just a handful of races before President Biden’s exit, as dollars flowed into Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. Since Harris became the Democrats’ pick, that trendline has only widened.

AdImpact says those seven states have received 79% of total aired spend and are currently set to receive 88% of future reservations. The firm also points out that Biden spent $321 million on ads before dropping out on July 21. Since then, Democrats have outspent Republicans in aired ads by $322 million. Democrats also lead Republicans in future reservations: $266 million to $178 million as of Oct. 7. AdImpact also points out that while Harris has spent more than Trump to date, Trump currently has a slight $2.7 million advantage in future reservations.

As broadcasters well know, where a station is located dictates how much political ad dollars they receive. AdImpact says 2024 has been especially favorable to Pennsylvania stations. The state has received one in five (21%) of all Presidential ad dollars since July 22. And while most of the big dollars went to the seven states, it says the Omaha, NE market, home to Nebraska’s split electoral vote, has seen $9.4 million in aired spending.

The week of Sept. 29 has seen the most Presidential ad activity so far, with Democrats spending $97.6 million and Republicans spending $51.3 million during the seven days. However, AdImpact expects it will be eclipsed during the week of Oct. 27. That is when $129 million of ad time has been reserved, including $60.5 million by the Democrats and $40.2 million by Republicans.

AdImpact’s latest update on the Presidential race also offers a glimpse into what Harris and Trump have been talking about in their ads. Since July 22, it says taxation has been the leading issue in the Harris campaign, making up a third of her ads. Healthcare, housing, abortion rights, and crime are also frequent themes in battleground state ads.

The Trump campaign’s leading issue has been inflation, making up 62% of their total ads. His ads have also centered on the economy, housing, immigration, and crime.