Ad spending for the 2024 election cycle has reached an unprecedented total of nearly $11 billion, marking a significant increase from the $9 billion spent in 2020, according to data from AdImpact, a firm specializing in tracking political ad expenditures.
This new record aligns with earlier projections that anticipated a historic surge in campaign spending. The presidential race claimed the largest portion of the spending, with Democrats notably outspending Republicans, even though they lost the race.
Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign and affiliated groups invested over $880 million since 2023, while President-elect Donald Trump’s campaign and associated entities spent about $425 million. Altogether, Democratic campaigns and supporting groups spent approximately $1.8 billion, while Republican entities spent around $1.4 billion.
Senate races saw substantial investments, totaling about $2.6 billion, with $1.4 billion spent by Democrats and $1.2 billion by Republicans. Ohio’s Senate race, where Republican Bernie Moreno emerged victorious, became the costliest Senate race with over $538 million in ad spending.
Meanwhile, House races attracted $1.7 billion in spending, led by New York’s 19th District race, with Democrats investing $940 million and Republicans $760 million. Gubernatorial races drew around $530 million, with North Carolina’s race topping the list at nearly $120 million.
Down-ballot races, including state legislative contests, ballot measures, and constitutional amendments, accounted for another $2.9 billion in spending, with Florida’s marijuana legalization amendment attracting over $122 million, the most for any ballot measure.
Peoplesmind
