Ad for Kamala Harris.
Source: YouTubePolitical Ads Can’t Buy the Presidency
Democrats outspent Republicans by more than $300 million in the run-up to the 2024 presidential election. Yet Harris won none of the swing states where the vast majority of spending went.
Money doesn’t win US elections, but it often helps. In bids for the Senate, the candidate who spends the most is typically the victor. That pattern held this year: In 21 of 33 Senate races, the candidate who spent the most on advertising—generally the major expenditure for a campaign—was the winner.
The link between spending and winning has always been weaker in presidential contests. In the eight weeks through Election Day, Democrats poured almost $1 billion into advertising across TV, radio and digital platforms, outspending Republicans by more than $300 million. Yet Kamala Harris lost decisively, picking up zero electoral votes in the battleground states where the overwhelming majority of spending occurred.