Trump, Harris campaigns make Pennsylvania most expensive battleground, spending $538M combined: report

More than $538 million in advertising dollars spent by former President Trump and Vice President Harris’ presidential campaigns and their allies have been poured into the critical battleground state of Pennsylvania ahead of Election Day, according to a new report. 

The figure comes from an analysis published by the Philadelphia Inquirer on Tuesday. 

That makes Pennsylvania, which has 19 electoral votes considered critical to securing the presidency, the most expensive battleground state. According to the analysis, Democrats spent more than $294.7 million in Pennsylvania, and Republicans spent $243.6 million. 

Both campaigns and their respective allies spent about $185 million – or 52% – more collectively in Pennsylvania than the second most expensive swing state of Michigan, according to AdImpact. 

The top presidential candidates and their running mates have visited Pennsylvania 76 times since January, the Inquirer reported, though that jumps to 90 when including the stops President Biden made before he discontinued his re-election bid and endorsed Harris in July. 

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Most of those visits to Pennsylvania have happened since the beginning of August. 

Of Trump’s 25 campaign visits, 18 have been outside of Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, as the Republican nominee has focused on Rust Belt towns like Wilkes-Barre and Johnstown. 

In recent weeks, his strategy has shifted to the suburbs of Philadelphia in Montgomery County, as he and his running mate, Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, court more undecided voters in areas that can lean blue. 

“The blue-collar Trump voter, the union member Trump voter, the person who is concerned about the border Trump voter, the person concerned about his job in fracking, energy or manufacturing,” Trump senior adviser Tim Murtaugh told the Inquirer. “All of those people are Pennsylvania Trump voters.”

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Harris has prioritized population hubs, making three-quarters of her visits to the state in Philadelphia and its suburbs and Allegheny County, which combined account for 44% of registered Pennsylvania voters. She and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, have also paid visits to smaller towns. 

“The strategy has always been, throw the kitchen sink at campaigning everywhere and not taking any voters for granted,” Harris senior adviser Brendan McPhillips told the Inquirer. “Our unofficial motto is go everywhere, talk to everyone.”

Biden for President and Harris for President have spent more than $123.7 million since January on Pennsylvania’s airwaves, while Democratic PACs and issue groups bought another $171 million worth of ads supporting Harris that will air until Nov. 5. 

Harris and her allies have focused on Philadelphia’s media market, outspending Trump and his allies on streaming, cable, digital and radio ads. Trump dropped more on broadcast buys, the Inquirer reported. 

Trump’s campaign spent $52.5 million on advertising in Pennsylvania, and super PACs supporting the president spent another $191.2 million in the battleground state.