With the Democratic Party officially selecting Vice President Kamala Harris as its presidential nominee and independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. dropping out of the race, the revised race for the White House has begun with just over two months left to go. Democrats are strategizing on how to beat Republican rival Donald Trump in November, with a key focus on increasing their presence on paid media.
Data from advertising intelligence and analytics firm AdImpact reveals that Democrats have secured $296 million in future ad inventory, compared to $132 million for Republicans. These figures include dollar amounts from both the official campaigns and outside groups. On average, Democrats have booked $27.6 million per week in presidential ad spending between Labor Day and the election on Nov. 5, while Republicans have locked in $10.1 million per week during the same period.
According to AdImpact’s 2024 Presidential Report: Part I, Democrats have already dedicated more dollars to advertising in all seven swing states — from Arizona to Georgia to Wisconsin — than their opponents. Just before the Democratic National Convention, the Harris campaign announced plans to spend at least $370 million on advertising, with $170 million allocated to television and $200 million set aside for digital channels. This digital-first strategy mirrors how Democrats allocated presidential ad dollars before President Joe Biden exited the race on July 21.
The Democratic campaign stated, “By reserving early, the Harris-Walz campaign is securing inventory during high-viewership moments like major sporting events and other national programs before they sell out. By buying later, Trump is spending more per ad buy and getting worse ad placements, particularly for high-viewership programming like live sports.”
Overall, AdImpact expects presidential ad spending to reach $2.16 billion during the 2024 general election, marking a 17% increase compared to 2020. The latest national figures from poll aggregator 538 put Harris ahead of Trump by 3.4 percentage points, with Harris at 47.1% and Trump at 43.7%.
As the race for the White House intensifies, Democrats are banking on their significant lead in ad spending to help propel Vice President Kamala Harris to victory in November. With a strong focus on paid media and strategic advertising placements, the Democratic campaign aims to maintain its momentum and secure the presidency in the upcoming election.