The anti-Trump Republican camp launched an $11.5 million ad buy in key battleground states on Tuesday, the group's largest ad buy of the season.
The group is targeting voters in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin and Arizona. Additionally, the ads will run in Nebraska's battleground 2nd Congressional District. $4.5 million of the ad budget will be spent in Pennsylvania, $3 million in Michigan and $2.2 million in Wisconsin. The group plans to spend $1.5 million in Arizona and $375,000 in Nebraska's 2nd Congressional District.
The effort includes a 30-second ad featuring a supporter of former President Trump who says he plans to endorse Vice President Harris in November, as well as the installation of 79 billboards featuring supporters of former President Trump.
“We are elevating the voices of disgruntled Republicans and helping many other traditional Republicans build a permission structure to reject Donald Trump and his MAGA movement, even if it means voting for a Democrat with whom we may have policy differences,” said Sarah Longwell, executive director of Republicans Against Trump.
The ad buy comes as Harris' campaign seeks to reach out to Republican voters after more than 200 former staffers for four GOP presidential candidates endorsed her last week, saying they have policy disagreements with her but “just can't support” Trump.
In August, the Harris campaign launched the “Republican Voters Support Harris” campaign, which includes more than 25 Republican supporters, including former Secretaries of State Chuck Hagel and Ray LaHood, as well as former Republican governors and lawmakers. Several Republicans, including former Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.), former Georgia Lieutenant Governor Geoff Duncan (R-Ga.), and former Trump spokesperson Stephanie Grisham at the Democratic National Convention last month.
Harris continues to lead Trump in national and state-level polls. Nationally, Harris leads Trump 49.4% to 45.4%, according to The Hill/Decision Desk polling average. In Pennsylvania, the average gives Harris a 0.7% lead, and in Michigan, she leads by 1.6%. In Wisconsin, Harris leads by 3.4%, and in Arizona, she leads Trump by just 0.1%. The Hill/Decision Desk analysis of Nebraska's 2nd Congressional District gives Harris an 82% chance of winning the district.
Nebraska awards two of its five electoral votes to the statewide winner of the presidential election, plus one to the candidate who receives the most votes in each of the state's three electoral districts. The district includes the growing Omaha metropolitan area, which has helped boost Democrats' influence in the state. That dynamic could make the district important in November's election.
