Jan 22, 2020 - Politics & Policy

DNC kicks off multi-million investment in 2020 battleground states

Chair of DNC Tom Perez

Chair of DNC Tom Perez on Dec. 19, 2019. Photo: Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images

The Democratic National Committee announced Wednesday that it will invest millions of dollars into six states in preparation for the 2020 general election, CNN reports.

Why it matters: It's the committee's first major political expense in the 2020 election cycle and targets competitive battleground states that President Trump won in 2016: Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, Florida, North Carolina and Arizona.

  • The spending will be coordinated through the states' Democratic arms and used to open additional field offices and fund data operations that will ultimately be given to the party's nominee.

What they're saying: "The DNC is making historic, early investments to lay the groundwork for our eventual nominee to win in 2020," DNC Chairman Tom Perez told CNN.

  • "We are taking nothing for granted as we work to make Trump a one-term president and win up and down the ballot in 2020."

The big picture: The committee's new spending list does not include New Hampshire, Minnesota and Nevada — blue states in 2016 that the Democratic Party is seeking to protect in 2020.

Of note: Democratic self-funder Michael Bloomberg is building out a massive campaign and data operation of his own, which the billionaire has promised to turn over to the eventual nominee if he loses in the primaries.

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