The TV ad presence between President Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden and groups that support them has been fairly even in Ohio. However the final stretch shows the candidates are changing their spending plans for the state.
The Trump campaign has canceled all but around $3 million of the $18 million it planned to spend on Ohio TV ads from Labor Day to Election Day.
NEW: The Trump campaign is canceling TV ad schedules that had been booked in OHIO and MINNESOTA (10/20-10/26 flight)
— Medium Buying (@MediumBuying) October 19, 2020
The Biden campaign is outspending Trump by purchasing just over $5 million in ads in Ohio.
Though Trump and Biden are in a virtual dead heat in Ohio, Nick Everhart, a Republican consultant who monitors campaign media spending in Ohio and nationally, suggests Trump is focusing limited resources on other states.
“You can only be on the air for where you can pay for. And on some level, they’ve had to scrape back the spending here and delay starts or bring point levels now so they can be up other places," Everhart said.
Trump’s ads will air in Ohio’s three biggest markets, Columbus, Cinncinnati and Cleveland, in the final week. Biden’s ads will air in those cities as well as Dayton, Toledo and Youngstown from now until Election Day.
