With less than a month until the 2024 US presidential election, political ad spending is surging, particularly in battleground states. Vice President Kamala Harris has more than doubled former President Trump’s overall spend and continues to increase radio ad buys.
The Vice President spent $456.3 million between July and early October, while Trump’s campaign has spent $204.3 million. Most of this spending is concentrated in seven key states: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.
Of the two candidates, Harris has used radio to her advantage the most.
An analysis by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution has revealed that Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign and supporting political action committees have committed $7.1 million more in advertising spending in Georgia than former President Donald Trump’s campaign and supporters. The bulk of this spending difference is focused on radio ads.
Over the next three weeks, $31 million in ads backing Harris will be aired across Georgia’s digital, radio, and television platforms. $7 million of that is allocated to radio ads, compared to Trump’s campaign spend, which has only booked over $560,000 in radio ads for Atlanta and Columbus.
Outside of the Harris camp, Impact Fund, a national political organization representing Indian and South Asian American communities, has partnered with the Future Forward PAC to launch a $3.5 million ad campaign aimed at engaging South Asian and AAPI voters in support of Vice President Kamala Harris, including radio airplay.
The ads will run in key battleground states like Pennsylvania, Michigan, North Carolina, and Georgia, leading up to Election Day. This marks the largest independent expenditure ever focused on AAPI voters for a presidential candidate.
Impact Fund Executive Director Chintan Patel stated, “We are witnessing an unprecedented moment for South Asian and Asian Americans in U.S. politics. This partnership with Future Forward represents a historic investment in ensuring South Asian and AAPI voices are heard at the ballot box, and with Kamala Harris leading the charge, we have a unique opportunity to make history.”
