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Moderate Republican Kamala Harris Hits Arizona
Alright then!
I was strongly against Kamala Harris’s campaign strategy of keeping Arizona as an option rather than going all out to win it. I’ve been a constant critic because it never made sense to me why they would try to match the Trump campaign’s ad spending instead of outspending them. With a cash cushion, I expected a bolder approach.
However, the way they are now targeting Arizona — bringing in Democratic star power just as early voting begins — makes it seem like this was part of a larger plan: to focus on the Midwest in the early stages, and then pivot to the Sun Belt in the final weeks.
Will they make a last-minute push in Florida? No, I don’t think so.
Democrats are pouring into Arizona. President Biden, First Lady Jill Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, and several other prominent Democrats are headed there this week. I wouldn’t be surprised if former President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama visit Arizona as well.
Little by little, the Harris campaign and the Democrats have ramped up their spending in Arizona, and they seem committed to staying the course.
A recent analysis from AdImpact shows Phoenix as the country’s third-most targeted political ad market, with $107.5 million worth of spots set to run between Labor Day and Election Day. The only two ad markets more flush with political ad cash are Philadelphia and Las Vegas, with $127.4 million and $107.6 million in political programming scheduled to run in those markets, respectively. All three are the biggest media markets in key swing states in both the presidential race and the battle for the Senate.
I hope it’s clear what Harris is doing. After gaining ground and stabilizing her lead in Michigan and Wisconsin, she shifted her focus to Pennsylvania. As the ad bookings through Election Day indicate, she’s now planning to ramp up spending and increase her presence in Arizona and Nevada.
It’s a solid plan. Donald Trump is running low on campaign cash compared to Kamala Harris, and he’ll have a…
