In the lead-up to Tuesday's high-profile elections, Democrats outspent Republicans on advertising in several key states, resulting in a series of disappointing outcomes for conservatives, as reported by AdImpact, a media research firm.
The Democratic party's advertising expenditure surpassed that of the Republicans by millions in several crucial states, with the disparity exceeding $10 million in Kentucky and Virginia. The Republicans suffered losses in state legislature seats in New Jersey and Virginia, failed to secure a seat on the Pennsylvanian Supreme Court, were unsuccessful in their bid for the governor's mansion in Kentucky, and could not prevent the right to abortion from being enshrined in Ohio's constitution.
The most significant discrepancy in advertising expenditure was observed in Kentucky, where Democrats spent $48 million compared to the Republicans' $29.4 million, as per AdImpact's data. Democratic incumbent Gov. Andy Beshear defeated Daniel Cameron, the state's Republican attorney general, by a 5% margin with an estimated 98% of votes counted at the time of writing, according to the Associated Press.
An Emerson College poll released four days prior to the election showed Beshear and Cameron neck and neck, each garnering 47% of the vote.
In Ohio, a pro-abortion ballot measure passed by a margin of 56.6% to 43.4% in a state that former President Donald Trump won by 8% in 2020. Pro-choice groups spent $24.4 million on messaging in favor of the initiative, compared to the $16.3 million spent by pro-life groups, as reported by AdImpact.
In Virginia, the Republicans lost control of the state House and failed to secure the state Senate during Tuesday's elections, according to NPR. Democrats spent $35.3 million on advertisements ahead of the election, compared to the $27.6 million spent by Republicans, as per AdImpact's data.
Republican Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin raised $7.45 million through the Spirit of Virginia PAC in the third quarter of 2023, setting fundraising records for an effort aimed at helping Republicans win control of the Virginia state legislature.
In the Pennsylvania Supreme Court election, Democrat Daniel McCaffery defeated the Republican-backed Carolyn Carluccio, securing 53.1% of the votes to her 46.9% at the time of writing, according to The New York Times. Groups supporting McCaffery spent $10 million on ads, while Carluccio's supporters spent $6.5 million, as reported by AdImpact.
In New Jersey's legislative elections, Democrats outspent Republicans on advertisements $8.7 million to $2.05 million, according to AdImpact. This spending helped Democrats reverse some of the losses they experienced in 2021, with Democrats currently leading or having won every competitive seat in the state, as reported by Politico.
The Mississippi gubernatorial race was the only one analyzed by AdImpact where Republicans outspent Democrats on advertising, with Republicans spending $9.7 million and Democrats spending approximately $1 million less. This race was also one of the few key races where Republicans emerged victorious on Tuesday, with incumbent Republican Gov. Tate Reeves capturing 51.6% of the vote and defeating his Democratic challenger.
Political commentator Jim Geraghty, writing for National Review, stated, "No doubt they're disappointing and ominous for the GOP, but the results last night are not reason for panic." He added, "The elections in the year before the presidential election are a little oddmuch lower turnout, governors races in a trio of Southern states with their own quirky histories and dynamics, and intense waves of advertising in state legislative races that usually fly under the radar.
Login