Hillary Clinton is bombarding the television airwaves with $36 million in advertising during the final week of the presidential campaign, double the $18 million invested by Donald Trump.
And, that’s before the millions chipped in by their respective allies. Priorities USA, the designated super PAC supporting Clinton, is on the air with nearly $16 million in ads; a collection of outside groups supporting Trump has booked more than $17 million.
That leaves the Democratic nominee with an advantage over her Republican opponent, albeit not one as lopsided as existed earlier in the race. For months, Clinton advertised on television unanswered by Trump.
The question is whether any of the television spots will break through the clutter of political advertising that includes down ballot races and have an impact on voters.
“There are so many ads out there right now it’s hard to get a message through, but you also don’t want to have the other side pounding away on you without a response,” a Republican media consultant said. “The weight of message is important — and, at this stage, that the other side doesn’t have a huge advantage.”
The horse race has tightened significantly in the campaign’s final week. Clinton’s been weighed down by renewed focus on her use of a private email server while she was secretary of state, a considerable political vulnerability. Meanwhile, wayward Republicans who had resisted Trump, primary college educated whites, are showing signs that they intend to support their party’s nominee after all.
Here’s a breakdown of where the candidates’ campaigns are spending their television ad dollars Nov. 1 – Nov. 8.
Arizona: Clinton $1.5 million; Trump $ N/A
Colorado: Clinton $1.4 million; Trump $1.2 million
Florida: Clinton $8.9 million; Trump $5.6 million
Iowa: Clinton $1.03 million; Trump $623,000
Maine: Clinton $281,000; Trump $140,000
Michigan: Clinton $1.9 million; Trump $851,000
North Carolina: Clinton$3.4 million; Trump $1.4 million
New Hampshire: Clinton $1.8 million; Trump $1.3 million
New Mexico: Clinton $172,000; Trump $198,000
Nevada: Clinton $2.8 million; Trump $1.4 million
Ohio: Clinton $3.9 million; Trump $1.5 million
Pennsylvania: Clinton $5.1 million; Trump $1.5 million
Virginia: Clinton $787,000; $776,000
Wisconsin: Clinton $1.9 million; $635,000
National: Clinton $1.2 million; Trump $497,500
