Hits the ground

Harris hits the ground running, Trump ramps back up in transformed media landscape

From CNN's David Wright

Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign has already spent more than $1 million airing its first TV ad as she hits the ground running and works to reintroduce herself to voters, booking about $6.5 million worth of ad time this week across key battleground states.

Harris’ campaign and allied Democrats have also poured more than $20 million into digital advertising efforts since President Joe Biden withdrew from the race, a strategic investment that has contributed to Harris’ massive $200 million haul during her first week as the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee.

Including all campaigns, allied committees, and outside groups, Democrats have roughly doubled Republicans’ ad spending, about $50.6 million to about $25 million, since Biden dropped out.

Meanwhile, with the political landscape shifting underneath former President Donald Trump, his presidential campaign is ramping up its ad spending, booking more than $7 million worth of ad time this week and next — each more than the campaign has spent on ads all year.

Overall, including all presidential ad spending to date – past spending and future reservations, primary campaigns and outside groups, from both parties – ad spending on the 2024 presidential election now totals more than $1.1 billion.