President Joe Biden’s campaign quadrupled its spending in March, a distressed effort to secure a financial and strategic edge over former President Donald Trump as the 2024 presidential race heats up.
The increased spending comes at a crucial time, as Biden intensifies outreach efforts to the Hispanic community, a demographic showing signs of drifting away from Democratic loyalty.
According to recent campaign finance records, Biden’s campaign expenditure reached a staggering $29.2 million in March alone, dwarfing the $6.3 million spent in the preceding month.
This surge in spending is primarily directed towards media buys, totaling $21.8 million, and staffing, which saw an addition of approximately 50 new staffers. “The bulk of the president’s spending last month came as advertising,” reports POLITICO, highlighting the aggressive push to diminish a persistent polling gap with Trump.
Despite this massive outflow, Biden’s campaign coffers grew, thanks to $43.8 million in new contributions, more than half of which came through joint fundraising committees. By the end of March, the campaign boasted $192 million on hand, comfortably surpassing Trump’s reported $93.1 million, spread across his campaign and affiliated committees.
Parallel to the financial ramp-up, Biden’s campaign is proactively seeking to reconnect with Hispanic voters, amid warnings that this critical voter bloc’s support could be waning. [Source]
The campaign’s targeted efforts included an interview with Hispanic media giant Univision, signaling a deliberate pivot towards more personalized outreach. “I think that Latino voters know how much is at stake,” noted Michelle Villegas, Biden’s Latino engagement director.
The campaign has not only diversified its advertising to resonate with different Hispanic communities but also employed new tools like the Reach app to foster direct communication with voters.
These initiatives are part of a broader $30 million media investment this spring, reflecting a nuanced approach to appeal to the Hispanic community across various states.
However, challenges loom large. Critics and even some allies point to a potentially lackluster engagement strategy, as highlighted by a critique in the Miami Herald regarding an event in Coral Gables, which was perceived as inadequately representative of the Hispanic community.
This perception of disconnect could prove detrimental as Biden faces not only Trump but also third-party candidates like Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is showing unexpected strength among Latino voters in key battleground states.
Surveys indicate that while Latino voters predominantly favor the Democratic Party, their long-standing preference for the party has diminished to its smallest margin in many years.
Spotting an opportunity, the Trump campaign is emphasizing recent polls that demonstrate the former president’s increasing popularity among Latino voters.
Trump’s spokesperson Danielle Alvarez criticizing Biden’s past outreach efforts as ineffective. “Hispanics know how despacito Biden has been,” Alvarez remarked, echoing sentiments that could resonate with voters frustrated by current economic and border security issues.
As the Biden campaign doubles down on its efforts to secure Hispanic support, the stakes could not be higher. The outcome of these efforts could very well shape the political landscape heading into one of the most contentious elections in recent history.