Bloomberg outspends field in Facebook ads ahead of Super Tuesday

Billionaire Mike Bloomberg is far outspending his Democratic presidential primary opponents in Facebook ads leading up to Super Tuesday.

Bloomberg’s ad blitz on Facebook makes up 85 percent of the $21.7 million spent in total by candidates between Jan. 25 and Feb. 23, according to data compiled by crowdfunding technology platform Booster that was first shared with The Hill. 

Former Vice President Joe Biden is trailing the pack in spending for ads on the platform in the 15 states and territories that will hold nominating contests next Tuesday. His campaign does not break into the top 10 among spenders that shelled out money on ads during that time frame in Super Tuesday states. Facebook only reports the top 10 spenders among any candidate, cause or group the platform classifies as political, Booster co-founder Aaron Earls said.

Bloomberg, who is self-financing his campaign, is also the second largest spender in the pack in Facebook ads in South Carolina despite the fact that the candidate will not appear on Saturday’s South Carolina ballot. 

Bloomberg’s $129,501 ad blitz in South Carolina was beaten only by Tom Steyer, a billionaire candidate who spent $692,257. 

In the Super Tuesday states, though, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) overtook Steyer in terms of spending on Facebook ads. The Sanders campaign is spending a combined total of $1.6 million in Facebook ads in Super Tuesday states. 

Steyer is spending $1.2 million on Facebook ads in all Super Tuesday states combined. 

Former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg has spent a total of $230,031 and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) has spent $134,462. Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) also does not break into the top 10 spenders in Super Tuesday states. 

Bloomberg, Steyer and Sanders are each spending heavily in California, the state with the most delegates at play. Buttigieg comes in fourth in terms of spending in the Golden State. 

In Texas, the second largest state at play, only Bloomberg and Sanders are spending to reach voters on Facebook. Bloomberg makes up 91 percent of the ad buys in the state with $3,806,806 and Sanders spending $360,740. 

Warren’s biggest spending push in an individual Super Tuesday state is in her home state of Massachusetts, with a $50,061 Facebook ad blitz. Sanders is also spending around $59,000 in the state and Bloomberg is spending another hefty $1.34 million on Facebook ads. 

Warren’s only other Facebook ad buys in the time frame are in the Super Tuesday states of Colorado, Maine, Minnesota and Sanders’s home state of Vermont. 

Along with Warren’s $5,150 blitz in Vermont, Buttigieg is spending $4,019 in the state. Sanders spent $14,494 in his home state, and Bloomberg spent $131,531. 

Bloomberg is the only candidate to court voters with a big Facebook ad buy in Virginia, spending $1.5 million in the commonwealth. No other candidates ranked in the top 10 in spending on Facebook ads in Virginia.