Trump, Harris Ad Buys Focus on Five States in Revamped 2024 Race

Bill Allison
·3-min read

(Bloomberg) -- Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris are concentrating 98% of their ad-buying firepower in just five swing states, a key indication of how both campaigns are strategizing their path to the White House.

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Trump, Harris and their respective super political action committees have currently booked $122 million in advertising time through the end of August, according to data from AdImpact, which tracks ad spending, with nearly all of the total committed to markets in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Georgia, Wisconsin and Arizona.

That suggests that neither camp sees the remaining two swing states — Nevada and North Carolina — worthy of significant investment, at least for now.

The ad bookings show that both campaigns are pouring money into the “Blue Wall” states of Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin at the highest rates, followed by Georgia and then Arizona.

No state is perhaps a bigger prize for each candidate than Pennsylvania. Trump’s campaign and its allies are spending a combined $32 million over the next four weeks, while Harris-related groups are spending $17 million.

Harris is also considering Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro as a potential running mate, which could help her win over key moderate and independent voters there. Trump is slated to hold a rally in the state on Wednesday.

The ad buying totals can change daily, and the spending totals will likely rise. Harris is flush with cash after she raised $200 million in the week after taking the top spot on the Democratic ticket following President Joe Biden’s withdrawal. Her campaign announced a $50 million ad buy Tuesday to run ahead of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

The Trump campaign and Harris campaign didn’t immediately respond to requests to comment.

Harris, emboldened by a wave of enthusiasm, is looking to broaden the narrow electoral map left behind by Biden, who trailed in nearly every swing state before leaving the race earlier this month. The centerpiece of his strategy was holding the Blue Wall states, but Harris also hopes to compete in Georgia and Arizona, traditionally Republican states that Biden flipped in 2020, buoyed by her support from young people and voters of color.

Earlier: Harris Expands Push to Compete With Trump in Swing States

The ad buys also mark a first for Trump and his allies, who have more than double the ad time booked than their Democratic opponent — $83 million to $39 million, according to AdImpact. For the entirety of Biden’s time in the race, groups supporting the president vastly outspent their Republican counterparts. The reversal in the spending trend is a sign of the Trump team’s concerns about the difficulty of facing Harris, instead of Biden, as an opponent.

The shift in ad spending comes as polls show Harris gaining on Trump. Harris has wiped out Trump’s lead across seven battleground states, according to the latest Bloomberg News/Morning Consult poll, which shows the candidates in a statistical tie.

Future Forward PAC, Harris’ allied super political action committee, is spending $32 million through the end of August, with 94% of its ad buys coming in four states: Pennsylvania, Michigan, Georgia and Wisconsin. It’s also booked $1 million in Arizona, where Trump is spending $11 million, and $810,000 in Nevada.

The former president’s campaign, and super PACs Make America Great Again Inc. and Preserve America, which is backed by Las Vegas Sands owner Miriam Adelson, have launched an advertising blitz, with most of the spots aiming to tie Harris to the Biden administration’s record on immigration and border enforcement.

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