Pennsylvania Senate race highlights spending boom

Six years ago, the Pennsylvania Senate race was the most expensive Senate contest in the country. It’s topping that list again for this election cycle, but with more than $100 million additional spending on the airwaves than in 2016.

So far $261 million has been spent or reserved on the airwaves in the Keystone State contest, according to the ad tracking firm AdImpact, making it the most expensive Senate race in the country. The race was also the most expensive in 2016, when $138 million was spent on ads. 

The spending boom in Pennsylvania underscores the broader increase in campaign spending over the last few election cycles. In 2016, Democrats and Republicans spent a combined $885 million on ads in Senate races. Senate race ad spending has doubled since then, with nearly $1.9 billion spent on Senate races so far, per AdImpact.

That’s in part because Pennsylvania also played host to a very expensive GOP Senate primary, with wealthy candidates such as celebrity doctor Mehemet Oz and former hedge fund manager David McCormick spending millions of their own money on the race. Democratic Lt. Gov. John Fetterman has also been among the more prolific fundraisers.

For Subscribers

FOR SUBSCRIBERSIt’s rarely been harder for people to find new jobs

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCBP leaders cut out of Trump ad buy decision

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAmerican passenger drafted goodbye texts to her family as Flydubai plane plummeted

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCornell rape allegation pushes embattled New York prosecutor into national spotlight

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAbdul El-Sayed tries to woo MAHA voters as Democrats seek inroads with RFK’s supporters

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKratom-like substances are popping up in a typically benign supplement

FOR SUBSCRIBERSGOP super PAC increases its spending for Sen. Jon Husted in tough Ohio race

FOR SUBSCRIBERSRecords reveal tumultuous marriage between slain New York Times executive and wife

FOR SUBSCRIBERSFrom clean energy warrior to ‘wall of shame,’ James Talarico reverses on a fossil fuel money pledge

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCongressional staff planned official trip with luxury stops in Italy and France weeks before election

FOR SUBSCRIBERSA harrowing ordeal aboard an Israel-bound plane

FOR SUBSCRIBERSOpenAI CEO Sam Altman to skip congressional hearing on rogue AI agents

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKey DOJ lawyers departed Trump ‘grand conspiracy’ probe amid pressure to produce, source says

FOR SUBSCRIBERSTrump’s new AI chatbot often links to a site launched under Clinton 26 years ago

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAt MAHA summit, industry CEOs the movement once vilified take the stage

For Subscribers

FOR SUBSCRIBERSIt’s rarely been harder for people to find new jobs

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCBP leaders cut out of Trump ad buy decision

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAmerican passenger drafted goodbye texts to her family as Flydubai plane plummeted

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCornell rape allegation pushes embattled New York prosecutor into national spotlight

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAbdul El-Sayed tries to woo MAHA voters as Democrats seek inroads with RFK’s supporters

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKratom-like substances are popping up in a typically benign supplement

FOR SUBSCRIBERSGOP super PAC increases its spending for Sen. Jon Husted in tough Ohio race

FOR SUBSCRIBERSRecords reveal tumultuous marriage between slain New York Times executive and wife

FOR SUBSCRIBERSFrom clean energy warrior to ‘wall of shame,’ James Talarico reverses on a fossil fuel money pledge

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCongressional staff planned official trip with luxury stops in Italy and France weeks before election

FOR SUBSCRIBERSA harrowing ordeal aboard an Israel-bound plane

FOR SUBSCRIBERSOpenAI CEO Sam Altman to skip congressional hearing on rogue AI agents

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKey DOJ lawyers departed Trump ‘grand conspiracy’ probe amid pressure to produce, source says

FOR SUBSCRIBERSTrump’s new AI chatbot often links to a site launched under Clinton 26 years ago

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAt MAHA summit, industry CEOs the movement once vilified take the stage

Pennsylvania has also attracted scores of outside spending as it is key to determining Senate control. In the final stretch of the race, both parties are appealing to voters on a range of issues, painting the opposing candidates as too extreme for the swing state. 

In one of his latest TV ads, Fetterman sought to draw a contrast with Oz, saying “He lies for your vote. I’ll never break your trust.”

Oz, meanwhile, has sought to paint himself as a more moderate alternative, saying in a recent ads, “Politicians point fingers. Doctors solve problems.”