Bloomberg-backed climate change group spending over $4.5 million in North Carolina, Arizona races

A climate change group funded by former Democratic presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg is spending over $4.5 million to back Democratic candidates in North Carolina and Arizona races. 

The Beyond Carbon Victory Fund announced it was taking out ads in support of Yvonne Lewis Holley for lieutenant governor of North Carolina against Republican challenger Mark Robinson. The group is also supporting Anna Tovar and Bill Mundell for the Arizona Corporation Commission, the group that regulates the state’s utilities.

The group will spend $2 million in North Carolina through Oct. 19 to air television ads, and $32,000 on radio ads. It’ll also spend $431,000 in digital and programmatic ads that will run this week. 

Holley and Robinson are in a dead-heat race in North Carolina. An East Carolina University Poll released Monday found the two tied among likely voters, each with 45 percent of support. 

In Arizona, Beyond Carbon is also airing over $1.6 million in television ads this week, and nearly $183,000 in digital ads. It’ll also spend $315,000 in direct mail, as well as digital, programmatic, TV, and radio ads over the coming week. 

“Our Beyond Carbon Victory Fund campaign aims to elect champions of climate action all over the country — at all levels of government where an impact can be made,” Bloomberg said in a statement. “These races may not make headline news, but I’m glad to support candidates in North Carolina and Arizona who will be leaders on climate action and the urgent work of moving our country more quickly to a 100% clean energy economy.”

Arizona and North Carolina are both battleground states for control of the White House and the Senate. President Trump is trailing former Vice President Joe Biden in both states, according to recent polls. A New York Times-Siena College poll released Wednesday found that Biden leads Trump 46 percent to 42 percent in the state. 

Biden is currently leading Trump 49 percent to 45 percent, according to a poll released Thursday by the Arizona Public Opinion Pulse.