Ad spending is ramping up in South Carolina, but activity lags far behind the pace set in the first two presidential nominating contests in Iowa and New Hampshire, where Republicans combined to spend over $200 million.
Haley network spending: Nikki Haley’s campaign has booked about $1.6 million of ad time in South Carolina so far, according to AdImpact data, after pledging to spend up to $4 million on an initial ad buy there. The campaign is up with two new ads, one of them targeting former President Donald Trump, and the other touting Haley’s record as governor of the state.
Americans for Prosperity Action, the super PAC arm of the Koch family political network, has spent about $3.5 million on ads boosting Haley in South Carolina. SFA Fund, the lead super PAC backing Haley’s White House bid, has notably not spent any money on ads in the state so far, but has said it intends to spend millions there.
Trump network spending: Trump’s political network, ready to move on to the general election, appears to be looking past South Carolina. His campaign has spent a small amount on advertising there, around $380,000 total — and most of that has been small-scale, recurring ad time stretching back to last August. The lead pro-Trump super PAC has not advertised in the state.
Biden campaign spending: On the other side of the aisle, President Joe Biden’s campaign recently began airing TV ads in South Carolina, ahead of the state’s February 3 Democratic primary. The campaign’s total spending remains small, about $380,000, behind a pair of spots: one touting Biden’s first-term accomplishments, and another focused on abortion rights.
