In just over the last four days, almost $30 million has been booked in presidential campaign ads. Television and radio ad spending across the country now tops $634 million, according to data provided to First Read from ad-buying firm SMG Delta.
Team Romney (the campaign, RNC, and outside groups supporting him) has expanded its advantage, spending $340 million to Team Obama’s $293 million.
Team Obama had been outspending Team Romney in Florida, Ohio, and Virginia. But now President Obama and his supporters only have an edge in Ohio and Colorado.
Two more outside groups have emerged onto the presidential scene with ad buys -- Americans for Job Security and Secure America Now.
Americans for Job Security has booked $8.7 million in ads across six battleground states, including $2.3 million in Florida, $1.8 million in Ohio, $1.2 million in North Carolina, $1 million in Virginia and Colorado, and $494,000 in Iowa.
Secure America Now is spending $501,000 all in Florida – and mostly in Ft. Myers and West Palm Beach -- with an ad that uses Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu. They also placed $80,000 on cable in Miami.
TD Ameritrade founder Joe Ricketts’ group Ending Spending, which played in the primary, is pledging to spend $10 million on the race, the Wall Street Journal reported, but the bookings for those ads have not come across yet, according to SMG Delta.
Outside spending accounts $277 million, about 44 percent of the total – 80 percent of that money ($222 million) has gone to support Mitt Romney.
About 19 percent of the money supporting President Obama has come from outside groups ($55 million) whereas 65 percent of the money going to support Romney is from outside groups.
Here’s how the groups breakdown:
Obama $238,701,379
Romney $99,625,191
Crossroads GPS $60,772,380
American Crossroads $50,926,768
Priorities USA $49,494,474
AFP $46,469,165
Restore $43,421,505
RNC $18,703,104* (the RNC is not included in “outside spending” or as part of the campaign)
Americans for Job Security $8,667,287
CWA $4,783,656
American Future Fund $4,342,414
American Energy Alliance $2,491,572
SEIU $2,497,313
Planned Parenthood $1,447,734
Priorities/LCV $979,048
Secure America Now $501,533
MoveOn $166,891
Numbers USA $115,051
State spending:
FL $129,321,118
Team Romney $66,795,363
Team Obama $62,525,755
OH $122,485,400
Team Romney $58,399,632
Team Obama $64,085,768
VA $95,822,376
Team Romney $51,067,330
Team Obama $44,755,046
NC $59,960,865
Team Romney $37,855,010
Team Obama $22,105,855
CO $59,473,276
Team Romney $29,487,016
Team Obama $29,986,260
IA $48,612,965
Team Romney $25,319,350
Team Obama $23,293,615
NV $39,443,154
Team Romney $20,940,206
Team Obama $18,502,948
NH $28,415,277
Team Romney $14,355,976
Team Obama $14,059,301
PA $19,254,062
Team Romney $11,155,036
Team Obama $8,099,026
WI $16,931,285
Team Romney $11,282,307
Team Obama $5,648,978
MI $5,904,984
Team Romney $5,894,469
Team Obama $10,515
MN $3,146,098
Team Romney $3,146,098
Team Obama $0