Staff Reports
In a not-so-surprising turn of events, Democrats once again proved that they have no qualms about spending copious amounts of money on ads. According to the media research firm AdImpact, Democrats outspent Republicans in key states leading up to Tuesday’s high-profile elections, and the results were less than desirable for conservatives.
Dems Massively Outspent Republicans On Ads Ahead Of November Electionshttps://t.co/JBWNu8R3m0
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) November 8, 2023
The gaps in ad spending were astronomical, with differences exceeding $10 million in both Kentucky and Virginia. AdImpact reported that Democrats splurged $48 million in Kentucky, leaving Republicans in the dust with a mere $29.4 million. Talk about a major discrepancy! And the outcome? Incumbent Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear managed to defeat the state’s Republican attorney general, Daniel Cameron, with a comfortable 5% margin. Looks like all that advertising paid off.
Meanwhile, in the great state of Ohio, a pro-abortion ballot measure was passed with a significant 56.6% to 43.4% majority. Despite former President Donald Trump winning the state by 8% in 2020, pro-choice groups managed to spend $24.4 million to push their agenda, while pro-life groups could only muster $16.3 million in response. The power of the almighty dollar strikes again.
In Virginia, Democrats pulled out all the stops, spending a hefty $35.3 million on advertisements leading up to the elections. Meanwhile, Republicans could only scrape together $27.6 million of their own. As a result, Virginia Republicans lost control of the state House and failed to take the state Senate. Looks like all that money didn’t buy them the victory they were hoping for.
But hey, it’s not all doom and gloom for the GOP. They managed to secure a win in Mississippi’s gubernatorial race, where incumbent Republican Gov. Tate Reeves triumphed with 51.6% of the vote. Although, to be fair, the Democrats weren’t exactly putting up a fight in that contest, spending about $1 million less on advertising than the Republicans.
So, while the results might be disappointing for conservatives, it’s definitely not a reason to panic. As political commentator Jim Geraghty astutely pointed out, these off-year elections often come with their own set of quirks and lower voter turnout. And let’s not forget about the intense waves of advertising in state legislative races that usually fly under the radar.
In the end, Democrats may have flexed their financial muscles and come out on top in some key races, but as the saying goes, money can’t buy everything. And the Republican Party is certainly not one to back down easily. So, let the political games continue, and let the parties keep spending their ad dollars. It’s all part of the democratic process, after all.
