Down The Middle News: $1 billion spent on Democrats’ 2020 primary as Mike Bloomberg continues his spending spree: report

Promoting spending on the US presidential primaries has surpassed an “unprecedented” $1 billion, half of which got here from the coffers of billionaire Democratic White Home hopeful Michael Bloomberg, a monitoring agency mentioned Friday.

The previous New York mayor, who was the ninth richest man on this planet final 12 months, has spent $539 million on tv and radio spots, in addition to digital adverts, since launching his run on November 25, Promoting Analytics mentioned.

With 4 months nonetheless to go earlier than the Democratic conference, the spending has blown previous the earlier file of $338.2 million set by President Barack Obama throughout his 2012 re-election marketing campaign.

Bloomberg is dipping into his private fortune of some $60 billion, incomes him sharp criticism from rivals who say he’s making an attempt to purchase the election.

Tom Steyer, one other billionaire competing to be the Democratic candidate to tackle Donald Trump within the November election, has spent $186.1 million on promoting to this point, Promoting Analytics mentioned.

Senator Bernie Sanders, the present Democratic front-runner, is the highest advert spender amongst non-billionaire candidates, due to his “prodigious fundraising means,” the agency mentioned.

He has been in a position to run tv adverts in key markets weeks forward of his rivals, spending a complete of $48.6 million to this point.

By comparability, former vice chairman Joe Biden has spent a comparatively anemic $13.9 million.

In whole, the Democratic candidates mixed have spent $969 million, whereas Republicans have spent $67.9 million in promoting for his or her get together major, although the nomination of incumbent President Donald Trump is barely a formality.

Report typos and corrections to: [email protected].