It’s a state that President Trump carried by over 8 points in 2016, but Joe Biden is signaling that he thinks Ohio can be flipped back into the Democratic column this November.
On Thursday, the former vice president’s campaign announced a new, pricey 7-figure ad blitz in Ohio, showcasing new advertisements that highlight his “Made in America” and “Build Back Better” economic agenda, which includes the federal government investing billions of dollars in spurring domestic manufacturing.
“Today, Biden for President announced it is expanding the campaign’s offensive paid media efforts into Ohio, marking the ninth battleground state it will be up on the air with ads — and showcasing Joe Biden’s multiple paths to 270 electoral votes as the Trump campaign pulls back ads in key states like Michigan that he won in 2016,” the campaign said in a statement. “The Ohio ad buy will be seven figures across digital and broadcast platforms and run through the Democratic convention.”
Current polling shows a tight race in the state, with Trump holding a narrow lead over Biden but within the margin of error, according to a CBS News survey released this week, which had Trump leading Biden by a single point with 46% support.
“So goes Ohio, so goes the country” is a refrain commonly heard during presidential election years — and for good reason. No Republican has ever been elected president without winning Ohio, and the state has been considered central to every national GOP campaign for decades.
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Trump’s campaign has committed more ad dollars in the Ohio television market than to any other state except Florida, signaling it remains uncertain the campaign has a lock on the state. Biden, meanwhile, is forcing his opponent to spend more resources in a state he can afford to lose and can still easily surpass the 270 electoral votes necessary to win the election.
Last month, Trump spent nearly $1 million in advertising that targeted Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, and Dayton. He has spent nearly $3 million on television ads in Ohio this year, which is part of the $95 million the Trump campaign has committed to television advertising in six states he won in 2016.
“This ad is part of the previously announced $14.5 million buy for the week in battleground states, and the campaign will continue making significant investments in its paid media program between now and November,” Biden’s campaign said.
