Harris and Trump campaigns increase spending as election nears – www.israelhayom.com

As the 2024 presidential election approaches, the campaigns of Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are increasing their spending, with Harris enjoying a significant fundraising advantage, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal.

The Harris campaign, which took the top spot among Democrats this summer, reported that it, along with allied committees, had raised more than $1.1 billion through August. The Trump campaign has now raised at least $720 million, based on Federal Election Commission (FEC) filings and campaign returns, but declined to provide a total for the year. “We will continue to raise the money we need to implement a successful strategy,” a senior Trump adviser said.

The majority of spending for both campaigns went on advertising. The Harris campaign has spent about $346 million on radio, television and digital advertising this year, compared to about $147 million for the Trump campaign. But ad tracking firm AdImpact reports even higher totals: Harris booked $647 million in ads between January and Election Day and Trump reserved $273 million.

Another major expense category is payroll and consulting. The Harris campaign said it spent about $72 million on staff and consultants through August, while the Trump campaign spent just over $35 million in that area.

New from @axios: Democrats spend more money nationwide than Republicans pic.twitter.com/0BHeU1rhET

— AdImpact Politics (@AdImpact_Pol) September 23, 2024

The campaigns also showcase different tastes in food and catering. In August, the Harris campaign had tabs in soul food cafes, boba tea shops and gourmet ice cream parlors. The Trump campaign, meanwhile, favored fast-food restaurants at chains like McDonald’s, Chick-fil-A and Waffle House.

Rally costs represent another significant expense: Trump spent $16.8 million on venue rentals and related costs, compared to $14.7 million for Harris. The Harris campaign held several large rallies in August, incurring more than half a million dollars in rental and production costs for an event in Arizona.

Crazy comparison of META ad campaign spending per presidential candidate

Trump: $4.4 million
Kamala: $47.5 million

And she started running much later.

Your media buyers have hit the damn accelerator. pic.twitter.com/QSP9z6obh4

— Evan Seech (@evanseech) September 25, 2024

The Wall Street JournalThe analysis included spending by the candidates’ main campaign committees, related political action committees and party committees. The data comes from FEC filings for most companies from January through August, with some Joint Fundraising Committee reports only available through June.

Campaign finance experts point out that the huge spending reflects the high stakes and competitiveness of the race. “These numbers underscore how much both sides see this election as an unconditional victory,” said Jane Smith, a political science professor at State University. “We will likely see further acceleration in spending as we approach November.”

With both campaigns set to spend hundreds of millions more in recent weeks, the 2024 election is on track to be one of the most expensive in U.S. history. The ultimate impact of this unprecedented spending on voter behavior remains to be seen.