By Julia Manchester - 09/03/24

Republican Voters Against Trump launched an $11.5 million ad buy in key swing states on Tuesday, marking the group’s largest ad buy so far this cycle.

The group is targeting voters in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Arizona. Additionally, the ad buy will also run in Nebraska’s competitive 2nd Congressional District. $4.5 million of the ad buy will be spent in Pennsylvania, while $3 million will be spent in Michigan and $2.2 million will be spent in Wisconsin. The group will spend $1.5 million in Arizona and $375,000 in Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District.

The effort includes a 30-second ad featuring former President Trump voters who say they plan to support Vice President Harris in November, along with 79 billboards featuring former Trump voters.

“We help elevate the voices of these disaffected Republicans and build a permission structure for many other traditional GOP voters to reject Donald Trump and his MAGA movement, even if it means voting for Democrats with whom they might have policy differences,” said Sarah Longwell, the executive director of Republican Voters Against Trump.

The ad buy comes as the Harris campaign makes a play toward Republican voters. Last week over 200 former GOP staffers for four past Republican presidential nominees backed Harris, noting that while they share policy disagreements with Harris, Trump is “simply untenable.”

In August, the Harris campaign launched “Republican Voters for Harris,” which included more than 25 GOP endorsements, including former secretaries Chuck Hagel and Ray LaHood, as well as former GOP governors and lawmakers. A few Republicans, including former Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.), former Georgia Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan , and former Trump White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham spoke at the Democratic National Convention last month.

Harris continues to make gains on Trump in national and state level polls. According to The Hill/Decision Desk HQ polling average, Harris leads Trump 49.4 percent to 45.4 percent nationally. In Pennsylvania, the average shows Harris with a 0.7 percent lead, while in Michigan she holds a 1.6 percent lead. In Wisconsin, she leads by 3.4 percent and in Arizona, Harris holds a narrow lead of 0.1 percent over Trump. According to The Hill/Decision Desk analysis of Nebraska’s 2nd Congressional District, Harris has an 82 percent chance of winning the district.

Nebraska gives two of its five electoral college votes to the statewide winner in the presidential race and one vote to the candidate that receives the most votes in each of its three congressional districts. The district includes the growing Omaha metropolitan area, which has aided Democratic strength in the state. The dynamic could allow the district to play a crucial role in November.