By
Republicans and Democrats are largely split as far as which party has the edge in future ad spending in the eight governor's races recently labeled by the NBC News Political Unit as the most consequential of the midterm cycle.
According to data from the ad-tracking firm AdImpact, Democrats have more future ad spending booked in Kansas, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, while Republicans have the advantage in Arizona, Florida, Georgia and Nevada.
Here's a breakdown of how much is booked in each of these key races, and of the top spenders, with the knowledge that these numbers will shift significantly between now and Election Day:
Arizona: $7.3 million for the GOP, $3.4 million for Democrats
Polls continue to show a tight race between Republican Kari Lake and Democratic Secretary of State Katie Hobbs. Republicans have a newly won edge in future ad-spending after more than $7 million booked by the Lake campaign and the Yuma County GOP. The state Democratic Party and the Hobbs campaign are splitting the Democratic spend. But just as the GOP side dropped a bunch of new money into the district in the last few days, expect to see more from the Democrats too.
Florida: $3 million Republicans, $235,000 for Democrats
Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis is one of the best-funded gubernatorial candidates in the country. And that continues to play out on the airwaves where Republicans are set to massively outspend Democrats.
Democratic outside groups haven't done much to come to Rep. Charlie Crist's aid, so it's unclear whether this dynamic will change before Election Day.
Georgia: $1.7 million for Republicans, $1.5 for Democrats
Future spending in Georgia is largely split, emblematic of how well-funded both campaigns are. Both candidates have relied heavily on affiliated outside groups, but Republican Gov. Brian Kemp continues to hold the edge in poll after poll.
Kansas: $5 million for Democrats, $4.8 million for Republicans
The virtual tie in future ad spending here is indicative of how competitive this race is as Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly tries to hold on in a heavily Republican-leaning state.
Outside groups backed by the Republican and Democratic gubernatorial campaign committees, with Republican Attorney General Derrick Schmidt's campaign pitching in almost $1 million.
Michigan: $23.9 million for Democrats, $3.9 million for Republicans
This state has the largest discrepency between Republican and Democratic spending. National groups have largely left Republican Tudor Dixon out in the cold (the Republican Governors Association's Get Michigan Working Again has booked about $3.6 million), while the Democratic Governors Association's Put Michigan First has another $15.4 million booked. Dixon's campaign has no future time booked, while Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is spending $5.1 million on ads through Election Day.
Nevada: $13.6 million for Republicans, $11.9 million for Democrats
Republicans have the future-spending edge in another state where they feel primed for a pickup opportunity. The spending is largely split between similar groups, with the RGA's Nevada PAC holding a slight future spending edge over the DGA-affiliated A Stronger Nevada, and Democratic Gov. Steve Sisolak's campaign holding a small edge over Republican nominee Joe Lombardo's.
Pennsylvania: $7.3 million for Democrats, $2.4 million for Republicans
This massive Democratic edge has been par for the course all cycle, with well-funded Democratic Attorney General Josh Shapiro spending all on his own. Republican state Sen. Doug Mastriano hasn't booked any ad spending since his primary, and the only GOP spending in this race is from the GOP outside group Commonwealth Leaders Fund.
Wisconsin: $19.5 million for Democrats, $10 million for Republicans
This is another race where Democrats have a big ad-spending edge as they look to defend their incumbent, Gov. Tony Evers. The top two spenders in the race are outside groups, while Evers' campaign has $6.7 million booked compared to Republican nominee Tim Michels' $2.5 million.
