GOP's war for eyeballs
Republicans are starting to trounce Democrats in political spending across the Senate map, and that advantage is now showing up in one of the metrics campaigns care about most: impressions. Why it matters: Money matters in a campaign's closing weeks, but what campaigns are ultimately buying is voters' attention — and the price varies, depending on who is buying and when they place their ads.…
In the race for political influence, Republicans are outpacing Democrats in campaign spending, particularly in terms of impressions generated for their advertisements. This advantage in airtime is due to the lower rates campaigns receive when compared to outside groups and super PACs. As the September deadline approaches, candidates and super PACs are racing to secure the limited supply of advertising inventory.
Republicans are generating more impressions but their lead is not as significant as the spending disparity would imply. North Carolina stands out as the sole battleground where Republicans are outspending Democrats with fewer impressions. Democrats managed to generate 245 million impressions in support of former Governor Roy Cooper, while Republicans were only able to achieve 226 million impressions for Michael Whatley, despite being outspent by Republicans.
This disparity has forced Republicans to consider pulling resources from North Carolina. Republican super PACs have invested $6.5 million in ads for October, as reported by Semafor. In Texas, Republican advertisers produced 502 million impressions compared to 331 million for Democrats from September 1 to September 17, with Republicans spending $37 million and Democrats spending $9.5 million.
In Ohio, Republican ads reached 406 million viewers compared to 320 million for Democratic candidate Sherrod Brown, with Republican groups spending roughly $22 million on Husted's campaign, while Democrats spent $14 million on Brown. Fairshake, an influential super PAC focusing on the crypto industry, has reserved $30 million in Ohio to oppose Brown.
Republicans have gained an edge in spending since September, as more GOP-aligned super PACs have entered the race. Candidates enjoy lower rates from broadcasters, resulting in more airtime for less money compared to outside groups and super PACs. The infusion of super PAC and party money has leveled the playing field for candidates, with a recent Supreme Court ruling allowing party committees to combine funds with campaigns, granting them lower rates.
The National Republican Senate Committee (NRSC) has allocated $46.5 million for coordinated campaigns across eight states, providing a significant boost for Republican efforts. While Republicans express relief at the arrival of these substantial donations, they also express concern that the influx of cash may have led some voters to form fixed opinions about the races and candidates.
Written by urgent.news from Axios's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
