With Election Day around the corner, there’s been just shy of $1 billion spent on political ads up and down the ballot in the last week, data from the ad-tracking firm AdImpact shows.
The $994 million is close to one-tenth of the more than $10 billion that’s been spent on political advertising so far since the start of 2023, spent across just seven days. And while Election Day may bring a temporary end to the spending onslaught that’s seemingly dominated every television commercial break in recent weeks, it’s not over yet: There’s still more than $300 million in future advertising time booked between Sunday and Tuesday.
The most expensive race over the last week is, unsurprisingly, the presidential race, where more than $272 million has been spent on ads, according to data from AdImpact. Former President Donald Trump‘s campaign has narrowly outspent Vice President Kamala Harris‘ campaign $43.4 million to $40.7 million between Oct. 27 and Nov. 2, but Democratic super PACs helped the party narrowly outspend Republicans over that period in the presidential race.
The vast majority of the almost $1 billion spent on ads this week has come in down-ballot races across the country, as candidates and outside groups spend furiously in races for Congress, the state House, pivotal ballot questions and other races.
There’s been more than $267 million spent on ads in down-ballot races, meaning all of the other races outside of races for president, governor and Congress.
- The two races drawing the most spending are in Florida, with $19 million in ad spending on the ballot referendum on abortion rights and about $18.5 million on the ballot referendum on legalizing marijuana there.
- One other down-ballot race saw more than $10 million in ad spending over the last week: California’s referendum on rent control.
Senate races have drawn $227 million so far.
- Three Senate races have drawn more than $30 million each over the last week: Ohio, Texas and Pennsylvania.
- Wisconsin and Michigan are in the next tier, with more than $23 million in spending last week.
House races have seen more than $208 million in ad spending.
- New York’s 19th District (where Republican Rep. Marc Molinaro is trying to hold on against Democrat Josh Riley) has seen the most, at almost $9 million in ad spending.
- California’s 45th District, a race featuring Republican Rep. Michelle Steel and Democrat Derek Tran, is seeing the next highest amount of ad spending with about $7.5 million, followed closely by California’s 27th District, where Republican Rep. Mike Garcia faces Democrat George Whitesides.
Governors races have had just $18 million in ad spending in the last week, thanks to a relative lack of competitive races this cycle.
- New Hampshire’s open gubernatorial race, featuring Republican former Sen. Kelly Ayotte and Democratic former Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig, is seeing the most ad spending ($6.7 million).
