Republican candidates and the groups supporting them have spent almost $105 million on ads in the Hawkeye State, and that figure is only expected to increase, according to reports.
According to a breakdown from AdImpact, the pro-Haley Super PAC, the SFA Fund, has spent the most, dropping 3.3 million on advertisements across the state. Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley’s individual campaign has spent $1.3 million.
Former President Donald Trump’s campaign has dropped short of one million in Iowa — $954.1k.
Republicans spend over $100 million on Iowa ads, with more to come:
— AdImpact Politics (@AdImpact_Pol) January 2, 2024
"Republican presidential candidates and outside groups have blanketed the Iowa airwaves ahead of the first-in-the-nation caucuses, spending nearly $105 million on ads there in 2023."https://t.co/ozZJz6uePX
Two groups supporting Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Fight Right and Good Fight, have spent over $1 million in Iowa combined — $704.8k and $609k, respectively. DeSantis’s campaign, specifically, has dropped fewer than half a million on Iowa ads — $412.5k. That follows news of the other pro-DeSantis Super PAC Never Back Down actually backing down in Iowa, pulling all of its 2024 reservations not only in Iowa but New Hampshire as well following a series of major departures and internal drama:
🚨Pro-Ron DeSantis group Never Back Down is canceling all of its 2024 reservations in Iowa and New Hampshire. So far, we've tracked cancelations totaling $2.5M.
— AdImpact Politics (@AdImpact_Pol) December 22, 2023
Ryan Binkley, a Texas pastor who is also running in the GOP race, has spent $175.9k, and anti-woke businessman Vivek Ramaswamy, who is skipping the CNN debate ahead of the Iowa caucus, has spent $29.1k. Breitbart News revealed on Tuesday that Ramaswamy will be engaging in his own form of counterprogramming during the CNN debate, joining podcaster Tim Pool for a live audience show in Des Moines, Iowa.
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The expected advertising does not stop there, either, as candidates and their groups are expected to drop at least another $7.5 million before Election Day, which is less than two weeks away, Both Haley and DeSantis hope to finish strong in the Hawkeye State as they have both struggled to put a dent in Trump’s lead.
Tuesday’s results from RealClearPolling show reason for concern, as Trump leads by an average of 32.7 points in Iowa with majority support — 51.3 percent. DeSantis and Haley are neck and neck, separated by 2.5 percent with 18.6 points and 16.1 points, respectively. Everyone else falls into the single digits.
