Revitalize your understanding of the intersection between politics and advertising with “The Political Pulse.” Delve into the intricate dynamics of the 2024 election as we dissect its influence on media expenditure in pivotal U.S. markets.
Presidential Campaigns
After a slow start to advertising this voting cycle, things are starting to ramp up! This year, we effectively saw two incumbents – the sitting President and his immediate predecessor – with a quick battle, as both already received the delegates needed to secure their nominations. We’re already seeing campaigns reserving spots during flight dates closer to Election Day. According to AdImpact, Presidential General Election ad spending is well underway in key swing states – Pennsylvania ($35.1M), Michigan ($24.7M), Arizona ($21.5M), Georgia ($18.4M), Wisconsin ($16.2M), Nevada ($5,6M), North Carolina ($5.0M), and Nebraska ($3.7M) – as $130.2M has already been pre-booked from August to November by the Democratic-aligned Future Forward (FF) PAC.
It’s Still Primary Season: Federal, State, and Local Campaigns
Now that we know the top of the ticket, as we are well into 2Q, we’ll learn more about the other races and issues we’ll vote on come November. We anticipate sizable political ad spending as twenty-five states will decide in their Primaries who’ll compete for their vote this fall at the Federal, State, and Local level. Below are States with primaries in May and beyond with the biggest campaign ad spenders so far: 
Ballot Initiatives
In the coming few months, we’ll find out which important ballot initiatives will make the cut for Election Day. Ballot initiatives have taken on increased importance in the 26 states that allow them. In some ways, it’s the most direct “small-d” democratic process in the U.S. Come up with an idea, gather enough signatures to get access to the ballot, and have your fellow citizens vote on it. America the beautiful! Here are a few significant initiatives confirmed for the November ballot where we anticipate political ad spending to impact the market from now until Election Day:
- An abortion rights initiative in Florida
- $18 minimum wage in California
- Allowing public funds to pay for private education in Kentucky
- Ranked-choice general elections in Nevada
At Locality, we are tracking every race, every ballot initiative, and many more 2024 election cycle moments that will impact ad spending across local TV and streaming. Get in touch if you’d like to discuss local advertising solutions for your campaigns. We’re always happy to chat about Politics!
