Senate Democrats are set to allocate $79 million for fall airtime in crucial battleground races. This, coupled with a top Democratic super PAC’s plans to spend hundreds of millions more, would provide Democrats with over $300 million in fall reservations as they strive to maintain their Senate majority.
The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) unveiled its campaign plans on Tuesday. The campaign will encompass TV, radio, and digital advertisements, with the largest investments focusing on key races in Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Additional funds will be directed towards contests in Montana, Ohio, Nevada, Arizona, and even Florida and Texas, where Democrats face more formidable challenges.
The DSCC stated that its spending represents “more than double the size of the party’s initial spending plan last cycle.” The committee also highlighted that the advertising “will cover periods not included in Senate Majority PAC’s reservations.”
Last month, Senate Majority PAC (SMP), the leading Democratic super PAC targeting Senate races, announced its intention to spend $239 million on a comprehensive fall advertising campaign, targeting a similar set of races. SMP plans to allocate over $60 million to defend Sen. Sherrod Brown in Ohio, and more than $40 million for Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey’s reelection, dedicating over $100 million to these two critical races. The group also pledged to direct eight-figure sums to support Democrats in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Arizona.
Furthermore, SMP committed to spend $45 million on ads supporting Montana Sen. Jon Tester, one of the most vulnerable Senate Democrats this year, and $36 million in Nevada, where Sen. Jacky Rosen is also facing a tough reelection battle.
The combined reservations total $318 million, a substantial reservation of fall airtime that could significantly bolster Democrats as they navigate a challenging map and fight to retain their Senate majority.
While future advertising reservations can be fluid, these totals represent an increase from key groups’ spending in 2022. According to AdImpact data, the DSCC spent about $50 million on advertising and SMP spent about $240 million.
However, Senate Republicans are also preparing to spend tens of millions of dollars on some of the same key races, with plans for at least $130 million in fall ad time so far. The Senate Leadership Fund, a leading GOP super PAC aligned with Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, plans to spend $57.7 million in Ohio and $24.6 million in Montana – two races where Republicans feel confident about their pickup chances, with Democratic incumbents seeking reelection in states former President Donald Trump won in 2020. Additionally, an allied GOP group, American Crossroads, plans to spend $25 million more in Ohio, and an additional $23.3 million in Montana.