As the third Republican primary debate approaches, Vivek Ramaswamy, a prominent figure in the biotech industry, has set his sights on vital early-voting states, Iowa and New Hampshire, with an ambitious eight-figure advertising purchase. This move, according to the 38-year-old’s campaign team, is strategically timed to bolster his support, arguing that any prior major ad purchases would have been ill-advised, given his national polling average of 4.6%.
Tricia McLaughlin, spokeswoman for Ramaswamy, has stated that the advertising blitz will commence on Saturday, spanning broadcast, cable, radio, digital and direct mail platforms. This aggressive move, she hints, is merely the beginning, and we should anticipate even more post-November 8th, the date of the Miami Republican National Committee debate.
Thus far, Ramaswamy’s campaign and the super PAC supporting him, American Exceptionalism PAC, have been rather conservative in their advertising spend compared to their counterparts. Data from AdImpact reveals that candidates such as Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, former President Donald Trump, former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, South Carolina Senator Tim Scott, and North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum have all invested at least twice as much into advertising.
On September 21, Ramaswamy had his highest national polling average of 8.1%, as per RealClearPolitics. His support has been on a gradual decline since then, trailing behind Trump at 59.3%, DeSantis at 13.4%, and Haley at 8.3%. In the states of Iowa and New Hampshire, Ramaswamy ranks fifth, slipping behind Senator Tim Scott and former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie.
One of the upcoming ads will feature Ramaswamy delivering a direct address to the viewers, stating his name and affirming that he speaks the truth. The ad, shared with The Post, presents Ramaswamy’s views on a range of topics, from gender and racism to education, governance, capitalism, and the US Constitution.
Simultaneously, other campaigns and super PACs have kept the advertising momentum high. Governor DeSantis’ campaign launched its maiden ad in Iowa last Thursday, taking a comparative stance against President Biden’s record. The super PAC backing DeSantis, Never Back Down, has already spent upwards of $30 million on advertisements, with plans to increase this figure, depending on the campaign’s direction.
In the meantime, former Trump UN ambassador Haley and Governor DeSantis have been trading blows through their respective ads. Haley’s team responded to accusations from Never Back Down about her record on China and her stance on Gaza refugees by releasing an online ad titled “Desperate DeSantis,” alleging that DeSantis is targeting her due to his slipping poll numbers.
Earlier this week, Trump’s campaign launched a new TV ad in Iowa and New Hampshire, Steven Cheung, the former president’s spokesperson, announced. The super PAC supporting Trump, MAGA Inc., has already invested over $27 million in advertisements.
Senator Scott’s campaign has previously announced ad buys set to run until the end of November, with a $1.6 million budget earmarked for Iowa, as revealed by Nicole Morales, the 58-year-old’s representative.
