Clinton, Dems to dominate final week on TV

Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton’s campaign is outspending her Republican rival by a factor of two-to-one on television advertising in six battleground states in the final seven days before next Tuesday’s election.

{mosads}The Clinton team will spend a total of $25.8 million on television spots in 13 states in the final week of the campaign, while Republican nominee Donald Trump is spending just $13.3 million in 12 states.

Clinton’s edge is especially apparent in states most likely to decide the battle for the White House. The campaign is dropping $8 million in Florida, compared with $4.4 million in spending from the Trump campaign. Clinton also will spend $4.3 million in Pennsylvania, where Team Trump is spending $1.5 million.

In Ohio and North Carolina, Clinton’s campaign will spend $3.8 million and $3.3 million respectively, more than double the $1.5 million and $1.3 million Trump’s campaign is spending. And in Nevada, Clinton’s team will have spent $2.7 million in the next seven days, while Trump’s campaign is spending $918,000.

The Trump campaign is outspending Clinton in only one state where the two campaigns are directly competing: New Hampshire. Trump’s $739,000 there outpaces Clinton’s $583,000.

Clinton is also outspending Trump in Wisconsin, Iowa and Maine.

In Arizona, a traditionally red state where polls show a tight race, the Democratic nominee is on the air with more than $1 million. The Trump campaign has not been on air in Arizona, though Trump himself has visited the state seven times since the beginning of the general election.

Trump’s campaign is spending $850,000 in Colorado and $775,000 in Virginia, both states where Clinton has largely been absent from the airwaves. Clinton’s campaign has purchased advertising in Colorado this week for the first time since July, the Denver Post reported Monday, as polls show a tightening contest.

Clinton’s edge is supplemented by Priorities USA Action, which is dropping another $11 million into battleground states this week. The outside super PAC will spend $2.8 million in Pennsylvania, $1.3 million across Ohio and a whopping $4.4 million in Florida this week.

The National Rifle Association is one of the few outside groups that has come to Trump’s aid. Affiliates of the NRA have made six-figure ad buys in Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania.

A group calling itself the Stop Hillary PAC has also purchased six figures in airtime in Arizona and Colorado. Another group, the Rebuilding American Now PAC, is spending nearly $700,000 — all of it in the Philadelphia media market.

The Clinton campaign has dominated the television airwaves by huge margins since the beginning of the general election contest.

All told, the Clinton campaign has run $185 million in television advertising since May, while Trump’s campaign has spent $76.5 million on television ads. Since Oct. 18, Clinton’s team has spent $64 million, compared with $38 million the Trump campaign has spent. Priorities USA Action spent another $30 million on Clinton’s behalf over that three week span.