This year so far, Harrison’s campaign has spent $7.6 million on TV, digital, radio and satellite ad buys that include two 30-second ads worth six figures, according to data from ad firm Advertising Analytics. Meanwhile, Graham’s campaign has spent $2.2 million. Of that, he spent $700,000 on three 30-second spots, two of which ran during ahead of the June primary when he faced three challengers.
South Carolina is considered among the cheaper states for ad spending because it has no major television market, meaning South Carolinians are going to get flooded with ads, observers say.
“We could see more ads, that’s certainly possible. I think we’re going to be inundated,” said Gibbs Knotts, a political science professor at the College of Charleston. “We’re going to see tons of mailers, tons of ads, tons of stuff on social media.”
And it won’t just come from campaigns.
The Security is Strength PAC, a group backing Graham, has already spent more than $800,000 on TV time and reserved an additional $1.6 million worth of TV and satellite buys for October and November. Political Action Committees supporting Harrison’s candidacy have spent almost $240,000 to defeat the three-term incumbent, ranging from the gun-control group Brady PAC, the Congressional Black Caucus, Progressive Turnout Project and the Lindsey Must Go PAC.
