Vice President Kamala Harris is closing out the race against former President Donald Trump with a significant cash advantage that will allow her to blanket the airwaves with TV ads in the battleground states.
Ms. Harris entered September with $109 million more in the bank. The Trump campaign has downplayed the advantage, saying Republicans are used to being outspent and will have the money they need to close strong.
“Harris’ fundraising advantage over Trump is quite substantial and will put her in a strong position to run ads and a sophisticated ground game,” said Darrell West of the Brookings Institution, a left-leaning think tank in Washington.
“She has opened thousands of offices in battleground states and has a big operation of people making calls and going door to door on her behalf,” Mr. West said. “Millions of Trump’s money is going to pay his legal fees, which drains cash from his advertising budget. Money won’t dictate who wins, but it provides advantages for the candidate with lots of funds.”
Both campaigns are zeroing in on seven swing states, including so-called blue wall states — Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin — that will likely make or break Ms. Harris’ chances. The other four battleground states are Arizona, Georgia, Nevada and North Carolina.
Mr. Trump was riding high on fundraising until Mr. Biden dropped out of the race in mid-July.
Since replacing Mr. Biden on the ticket, Ms. Harris has been a fundraising juggernaut. Her campaign, along with the Democratic National Committee and joint fundraising committees, has pulled in over $690 million.
The groups raised $361 million in August and entered the month with $404 million in cash. Mr. Trump and the GOP raised $130 million in August, ending the month with $295 million in the bank.
The Harris-aligned Future Forward PAC earned $36 million and had $84 million in cash. The Trump-aligned super PAC Make America Great Again Inc. received $25 million and kicked off September with $59 million.
The Harris campaign reportedly plans to invest $370 million in paid media over the campaign’s closing weeks. The money will also support over 2,000 field staff operating out of over 310 offices in battleground states.
The Harris campaign did not respond to requests for comment.
Polls show Ms. Harris has been making up ground on key issues, notably the economy. She is pressing her case advantage with ads that sweep her three-plus years as vice president under the rug and cast her as the race’s change agent and unifying force.
“Seen all these negative ads against me,” Ms. Harris says in one ad. “Well, here’s the deal. They are designed to tear us apart. But here’s the truth: my life’s work has been fighting on behalf of others.”
Mr. Trump has run ads warning that Ms. Harris’ record proves she is not ready to lead the nation.
“Kamala Harris wants to end all gas-powered cars,” Mr. Trump says in an ad running in Michigan. “Michigan autoworkers are paying the price. Massive layoffs have already started. You could be next.”
The Trump team insists they have the money they need to compete.
“Yes, she will spend more,” James Blair, political director for the Trump campaign and the Republican National Committee, said in a recent interview on the Sean Spicer show. “Yeah, it is a challenge, so if you have got money to give, give it. But it is not anything that is all that different than we are used to, and in certain ways, it is better than it has been in the past,” he said.
There is reason for optimism.
Despite being outspent by over $200 million, Mr. Trump defeated Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election, shocking the political universe.
Mr. Trump helped balance the disparity with nonstop rallies that helped earn him free media coverage.
It was a different story in 2020. Mr. Biden had far more resources than Mr. Trump and leveraged that by blanketing the airwaves with television and radio ads over the campaign’s homestretch.
This time, Mr. Trump is again doing his best to earn free media coverage. He has barnstormed the battleground states, holding press conferences and other events, including a recent meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
• This story is based in part on wire service reports.
• Seth McLaughlin can be reached at smclaughlin@washingtontimes.com.
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