Harris vs Trump 'Ad Battle'... Capture Pennsylvania

Since the U.S. presidential race reshaped into 'Harris vs. Trump,' both the Democratic and Republican parties have poured advertising funds into the key battleground state of Pennsylvania.

On the 15th (local time), The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) analyzed data from advertising analytics company AdImpact and found that from last month’s 22nd, the day after Democratic candidate President Joe Biden withdrew, until the 12th of this month, Vice President Kamala Harris’s camp and former President Donald Trump’s camp spent a combined total of $42 million (57 billion KRW) on election ads in Pennsylvania. This amount accounts for 38% of the total $110 million (149.3 billion KRW) spent on ads across the seven battleground states that will decide the presidential election, including Pennsylvania.

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

By candidate, Harris’s camp spent $21.2 million (28.8 billion KRW), while Trump’s camp spent $20.9 million (28.4 billion KRW) on Pennsylvania ads.

The reason both sides allocated the most advertising funds to Pennsylvania among the battleground states is because Pennsylvania is the largest and most critical battleground that must be won to secure victory in the presidential election. Pennsylvania has the highest number of electoral votes (19) among the battleground states. The other six battleground states have between 6 and 16 electoral votes.

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

The two candidates’ advertising themes and strategies also differed. Harris’s campaign focused on introducing Vice President Harris or contrasting her with former President Trump in their ads. Policy-wise, they emphasized support for the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and women’s reproductive rights. In contrast, Trump’s campaign was analyzed to highlight Vice President Harris in a negative light. Their policy focus was on immigration and crime issues.

As the competition between the candidates intensifies, advertising spending targeting battleground states is expected to increase. Harris’s campaign announced plans to spend $90 million (122.1 billion KRW) on ads by the end of this month. The super PAC supporting former President Trump, MAGA Inc., announced plans to spend $100 million (135.7 billion KRW) on battleground state ads by Labor Day on the 2nd of next month.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.