The 2024 election saw a record-breaking $11 billion spent on political advertising, according to AdImpact, a firm that tracks political ad spending. This was a significant increase from the $9 billion spent in the 2020 election. The firm had predicted in 2023 that 2024 would see higher ad spending than ever before. The largest portion of the spending came from the presidential race, with Democrats outspending Republicans despite ultimately losing the campaign. Vice President Kamala Harris’ political operation spent over $880 million since the beginning of 2023, while President-elect Donald Trump’s operation spent about $425 million on ads. Overall, Democratic campaigns and pro-Democratic outside groups spent almost $1.8 billion, while Trump campaigns and pro-Republican outside groups spent $1.4 billion.
In the Senate races, which will be controlled by Republicans at the start of the next year, a total of $2.6 billion was spent on ads. Democratic candidates and outside groups spent $1.4 billion, while Republican candidates and pro-Republican groups spent $1.2 billion. The most expensive Senate race in terms of ad spending was Ohio’s, won by Republican Bernie Moreno, with over $538 million spent by the campaigns and outside groups. House races drew $1.7 billion in ad spending, with Democrats spending $940 million and Republicans spending $760 million. The most ad spending in a House race was in New York’s 19th District, where Democrat Josh Riley was projected to defeat Republican Rep. Marc Molinaro, with almost $40 million spent on ads.
There were a relatively small number of competitive gubernatorial races in the 2024 election cycle, drawing almost $530 million in ad spending, including races held in 2023. North Carolina’s gubernatorial race, where Democratic Attorney General Josh Stein was projected to defeat Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, led the way with almost $120 million in ad spending. All other down-ballot races, including ballot questions, constitutional amendments, state legislative races, and more, drew $2.9 billion in spending. Florida’s ballot amendment on legalizing marijuana, which ultimately failed, saw more than $122 million in ad spending, the most of any down-ballot race.
Ben Kamisar, a national political reporter for NBC News, reported on the record-breaking ad spending in the 2024 election. Faith Wardwell also contributed to the reporting. The high levels of spending on political advertising in this election cycle demonstrate the importance of advertising in modern political campaigns. Candidates and outside groups invested heavily in ads to try to sway voters and gain an advantage in the highly competitive races at all levels of government. The significant disparity in ad spending between Democrats and Republicans also highlights the intense competition between the two major parties, as each sought to gain an edge in the electoral contests. Despite the billions of dollars spent on ads, the ultimate outcomes of many races were still uncertain and closely contested, showing the continuing influence of political advertising on the democratic process.
