Former U.S. Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley is outspending her opponents by a wide margin in New Hampshire in an effort to spur on her rising campaign.
According to an Epoch Times analysis of Federal Communications Commission disclosures released by broadcasters in the three metro areas that connect to the Granite State, leading GOP candidates spent more than $7 million on television advertisements that have been or will be broadcast between the beginning of November and the state’s Jan. 23 primary.
The analysis included affiliates of the four major networks—ABC, CBS, FOX, and NBC—in New Hampshire. Those market areas are Boston, Massachusetts, and Manchester, New Hampshire; Portland, Maine, and Auburn, New Hampshire; and Burlington and Plattsburgh, Vermont.
New Hampshire, a state of about 1.4 million, is one of the smallest states in the union in terms of land area and population. About half of its citizens live within 30 miles of the Massachusetts state line, making southern New Hampshire an outer suburb of the greater Boston area.
Following President Trump, Ms. Haley polled at 29 percent, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis at 11, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie at 10, and businessman Vivek Ramaswamy at 5 percent. The poll reports a margin of error of 5.5 percent.
Nikki Haley
Following a recent surge in national polling and notable endorsements from big political donors, Ms. Haley is making a significant investment in the Boston area. Moreover, she is the only candidate who is currently set to advertise in both the Portland-Auburn and Burlington-Plattsburgh designated market areas through primary day.Cumulatively, the Haley campaign has spent more than $4.3 million to appear on televisions in the New Hampshire region through Jan. 23.
Donald Trump
Despite Ms. Haley’s powerful polling performance of late, President Trump still leads the state and national polls by a healthy margin. As in Iowa, the Trump campaign is not sitting idly by, nor is it buying ad time through the primary day.That said, President Trump is the second biggest spender in New England right now. His campaign committee and his super political action committee—Make America Great Again Inc.—spent more than $1.7 million to keep his ads on the air in Boston through Jan. 8. Most of the spending, $1.7 million, is coming out of the PAC.
For now, the Trump campaign is not advertising in the other New Hampshire markets. Boston, according to most measures, is a top 10 media market. The other two do not crack the top 75.
Ron DeSantis
Mr. DeSantis, a big spender in Iowa, is not heavily invested in New Hampshire. Although he polled as high as 39 percent in June, according to a University of New Hampshire poll, the candidate is cutting back on expenditures in New England. His campaign spent about $500,000 on ads through the end of November.FEC records indicate the DeSantis campaign began spending in Boston as early as April and played a number of ads through October. For now, his main super PAC—Never Back Down Inc.—spent about $405,000 to air ads in Boston during the final two weeks before the primary. Neither the PAC nor Mr. DeSantis’ principal campaign committee currently have contracts signed to air ads before the final weeks of January.
Never Back Down also had a number of ads scheduled in the much cheaper Burlington-Plattsburgh area, but its commitment there ended in November and is not currently scheduled to resume.
Chris Christie
The Christie campaign remains focused on New Hampshire, but it is still the smallest spender among qualified candidates.As of Dec. 20, a super PAC supporting Mr. Christie—Tell It Like It Is PAC—bought about $470,000 worth of advertisements to keep the candidate on air in Boston through the primary day.
Mr. Christie has spent his time campaigning in New Hampshire and, for now, appears to be skipping the Iowa caucuses. The candidate has polled between 5 and 15 percent in New Hampshire since September, according to numerous polls.
Vivek Ramaswamy
The Ramaswamy campaign is not purchasing, nor has it ever purchased, TV ads in any of the New Hampshire-related markets.For now, Mr. Ramaswamy’s campaign is spending most of his time making personal appeals to voters in the Hawkeye State.
