Leading GOP Candidates Spend More Than $22 Million on Final Iowa TV Push

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (L) and former Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley speak during the fifth Republican presidential primary debate at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, on Jan.10, 2024. (Jim Watson/AFP)

Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley invested heavily in television ads to influence voters ahead of the Jan. 15 Iowa Republican caucuses.

According to an Epoch Times analysis of Federal Communications Commission disclosures released by broadcasters—in the Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Davenport, Sioux City, and Mason City metro areas in Iowa and Omaha, Nebraska—leading GOP candidates have spent more than $22.4 million on television ads that have aired or will air between December and the caucus.

The analysis included affiliates of the four major networks—ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC—in Iowa. Omaha was included because of its proximity to Council Bluffs, Iowa.

Five polls were released in the past week, attempting to capture the sentiment of the Hawkeye State ahead of the Republican Party of Iowa’s Caucus. All show former President Donald Trump holds a significant lead with more than half of Iowa’s likely caucusgoers supporting him.

The latest poll, published on Jan. 12 by Insider Advantage, determined President Trump has 51 percent support. Mr. DeSantis and Ms. Haley are tied at 17 percent. Additionally, 8 percent said they are undecided, and another 7 percent said they support businessman Vivek Ramaswamy.

That poll surveyed 850 likely caucusgoers on Jan. 11. It carries a margin of error of 4.32 percent.

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The former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations and her allied super political action committee, SFA Fund, outspent her Republican competition in Iowa’s local television markets in the final six weeks leading up to the caucus. The campaign spent more than $10 million on advertisements.

SFA Fund is a hybrid PAC. This, according to the Federal Election Commission (FEC), means it can solicit and accept unlimited contributions from individuals, corporations, labor unions, and other political committees.

It must maintain two bank accounts: one for independent spending on advertisements or voter drives and another for making direct contributions to federal candidates.

The former South Carolina governor’s principal campaign committee, Nikki Haley For President, spent about $993,000 in the six weeks leading to the Caucus day. SFA Fund spent more than $9 million.

Ms. Haley has enjoyed a rise in the polls in Iowa and is running close to President Trump in New Hampshire. The recent withdrawal of former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie from the Republican primary race could boost Ms. Haley further, but Mr. Christie has yet to endorse another candidate.

Closely following Ms. Haley in terms of ad spending, the Flordia governor’s campaign spent just under $10 million on advertisements.

The DeSantis campaign changed its spending plan over the final weeks of December. Mr. DeSantis’s main super PAC, Never Back Down, shifted its ad spending to two new super PACs loyal to DeSantis: Fight Right and Good Fight.

A super PAC, according to the FEC, can solicit or make unlimited contributions from individuals, corporations, labor unions, and other political committees.

DeSantis’s principal campaign committee, Ron DeSantis For President, spent about $198,000 on advertisements in the past six weeks of the Iowa race. Fight Right spent about $7.5 million on ads. Good Fight spent about $2.3 million.

Mr. DeSantis and Ms. Haley have stepped up attacks against each other in the dying days of the Iowa contest. On Jan. 10, they battled at a debate hosted by CNN, where both accused the other of lying.

Before launching his campaign, Mr. DeSantis polled close to President Trump. However, he’s seen his standing steadily decline ahead of the caucus. Mr. DeSantis is now saying he expects to do well in Iowa, where he’s expended most of his time.

Republican presidential candidate, former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally in Mason City, Iowa, on Jan. 5, 2024. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

The 45th president increased his advertising spending in every Iowa market but didn’t challenge Mr. DeSantis or Ms. Haley’s investment. President Trump’s campaign spent about $2.4 million on his final pitch to voters.

The entirety of the final advertising buy came from President Trump’s principal campaign committee, Donald J. Trump for President 2024 Inc.

President Trump is the clear frontrunner in the GOP race.

In his own Jan. 10 event, he turned his attention to President Joe Biden and teased he’s already picked a running mate. His former Vice President, Mike Pence, briefly campaigned for the 2024 nomination but withdrew in October.

Vivek Ramaswamy speaks at a statehouse rally against carbon capture pipelines in Iowa on Jan. 10, 2024. (Nathan Worcester/The Epoch Times)

Mr. Ramaswamy spent about $72,000 on sporadic ad buys in four of the Iowa markets: Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Davenport, and Sioux City.

In an X post in December 2023, Mr. Ramaswamy replied to a report he was pulling advertising spending saying, “presidential TV ad spending is idiotic, low-ROI and a trick that political consultants use to bamboozle candidates who suffer from low IQ.”

A few weeks after that post, Mr. Ramaswamy’s principal campaign committee, Vivek 2024, purchased about $10,000 worth of ads that began on Jan. 9 and will air through Jan. 15 on Sioux City’s four local stations KMEG, KPTH, KTIV, and KCAU.