Democrats outspending Republicans in Salt Lake campaign ads
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Democrats have spent about 70% more than Republicans on political ads in the Salt Lake area since Aug. 1, according to data from analytics platform AdImpact.
Follow the money: As of Sept. 20, Democrats here have spent $326,300 on ads booked for Aug. 1 through Nov. 5, compared to $189,700 for Republicans.
- That includes spending by campaigns (from the presidential candidates down to lower-ballot hopefuls) as well as by outside groups.
The big picture: That echoes national trends, with Democrats outspending Republicans by about a half-billion dollars in the same timeframe, Axios' Alex Fitzpatrick and Kavya Beheraj report.
- Through campaigns alone, Democrats have spent nearly $700 million, compared to almost $400 million by Republicans.
The intrigue: Deep-red Utah has few competitive races, especially with district maps that are widely viewed as gerrymandered to split the few Democratic strongholds that exist in the state.
The other side: Exasperation with former President Trump among historically-conservative Latter-day Saint voters has fueled Democrats' efforts to invite the faithful into their tent.
- Yes, but: Those efforts have largely targeted Arizona, where Vice President Kamala Harris has a chance to win 11 electoral votes.
Case in point: Phoenix is one of the metros where both parties are spending the most on ads, along with Detroit and Philadelphia, according to AdImpact.
- Meanwhile, Tucson — whose metro area is about 16% smaller than Salt Lake's — has $51,496,904 worth of ads to watch: 10 times the $515,934 spent here.
What's next: With about a month and a half until Election Day, there's no end in sight for campaign ads — but the bombardment is, at least, lighter here.