In a record-setting election season, Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate, Tim Walz, spent nearly $1.4 billion on political ads in their bid for the White House, according to a report from ad analytics firm AdImpact. This staggering figure means that the Harris-Walz campaign, along with Democratic allies, outspent former President Donald Trump and Republicans by almost $460 million, as per a Fox News report.
The 2024 presidential race, marked by soaring advertising budgets and fierce competition, saw Democrats spend approximately $1.37 billion on ads, while Republicans allocated $913.9 million. Harris, who entered the race in July following President Biden’s unexpected withdrawal, faced a challenging campaign against Trump, who ultimately secured his return to the White House after a remarkable comeback, the report added.
The intense focus on swing states contributed to an overall $2.29 billion in ad spending from July 22 through Election Day. Key battleground states, including Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Wisconsin, Georgia, Nevada, and Michigan, received $1.8 billion of these ad dollars. Pennsylvania alone absorbed a substantial portion, with $494.3 million in ad spending—22% of the total ad buy—with Democrats outspending Republicans by $261.9 million in the state, as per the report.
Trump's narrow win in Wisconsin proved crucial, securing him the necessary electoral votes to reclaim the presidency. His victory, announced by Fox News, followed two failed assassination attempts and multiple legal challenges. Despite the high stakes, the Harris-Walz campaign’s spending advantage did not translate into a win, the Fox news report added.
Livemint could not independently verify this news development.
The report revealed the prominent issues highlighted by each campaign. The Harris campaign focused heavily on taxation, with 498,000 ad airings, comprising 75% of all such ads. In contrast, the Trump team’s ads focused on immigration, airing 237,400 times compared to 29,225 from the Harris-Walz camp, as per the report.
Spending escalated particularly after Biden’s decision to exit the race, which sparked a spending surge. From March’s Super Tuesday until Biden’s July announcement, $336 million was spent on ads. But in the month after his departure, ad spending rose to $410 million, ultimately reaching $630 million by Labor Day—a significant 24% of total ad expenditure, the report added.
Despite these efforts, the Harris-Walz team was unable to overcome Trump’s persistent base and message, as the election results solidified his return to the White House, as per the report.
