Democrats outspend GOP on political ads in Twin Cities: Analysis
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Democrats are spending millions more than Republicans on political ads in the Twin Cities as the November election nears.
Why it matters: We're entering that time of year when you can't turn on the TV or pick up your smartphone without being inundated by the warring campaigns.
The big picture: Campaigns and committees have booked more than $15 million in ads in Minnesota through Election Day, according to data from analytics platform AdImpact.
- Groups allied with Democrats are responsible for more than $12 million of that.
State of play: The bulk of the ads are airing in the densely populated Twin Cities media market, as the chart above shows.
Between the lines: The spending can also signal whether campaigns see a state or race as competitive.
Case in point: The battle for the state's most competitive U.S. House seat — the south metro's 2nd Congressional District — is driving most of the local spend so far, with more than $7 million booked through Election Day.
Follow the money: Two-term DFL U.S. Rep. Angie Craig and allied Democratic groups are outspending Republicans, with more than $5.9 million in ad reservations.
- Her GOP rival Joe Teirab (who launched his first TV ad of the general election last week) and the National Republican Congressional Committee have spent $1.2 million.
Zoom out: The presidential numbers are even more lopsided. The Harris/Walz campaign has already spent more than $1.5 million on broadcast TV spots and other ads, per AdImpact.
- The Trump/Vance campaign, meanwhile, has just $18,000 booked.
Zoom in: The discrepancy is another sign that Trump isn't investing heavily in the state, despite the campaign's summer pledge to do so.
- The campaign and state GOP have countered that their voter-contact program is moving the needle on the ground.
The fine print: The time frame analyzed by Axios began on Aug. 1, so the $15 million total includes some final spending on ads ahead of the state's primary.
What we're watching: Whether outside groups up their spending in the state, especially the 2nd District, as Election Day nears.
Go deeper with our full Minnesota voter guide.