The Democrats succeeded in a donation coup in the fight against the Republicans Ex-footballer Mark van Bommel escapes armed robbery

Here’s how the modern U.S. election campaign works: On Tuesday, during the only televised debate in the Pennsylvania state Senate seat, Republican Mehmet Oz said, “In his opinion, local political leaders” should have an important voice as a woman considering an abortion with her doctor.

This ruling was a godsend for the Democrats, whose candidate John Fetterman cut a weak figure in the TV debate due to health problems. So they immediately announced that they would put the Republican’s “extreme” position at the center of an election commercial.

The money is there. The Democrats around Fetterman want to invest about 22 million dollars in TV spots before Election Day on November 8. The corresponding broadcast slots are already reserved. The Republicans around Oz, on the other hand, have a budget of about $20 million for the next 12 days. Your TV sees Fetterman’s caricature as a left-wing extremist (“radical, deadly, wrong”) who has a heart for criminals and drug addicts.

In the eyes of Swiss voters, these election ads may seem exaggerated. But in the US they work. In recent weeks, Oz has managed to plummet the approval ratings for his Democratic opponent Fetterman. In June, a clear majority of all voters said they had a good impression of the Democratic Senate candidate, who likes unconventional appearances. By October, after a barrage of negative TV spots, that bonus was gone.

That’s why Democrats and Republicans alike are pouring millions of dollars into states where major decisions about senate seats or governorships are pending. In Georgia alone, the two sides plan to invest more than $250 million in commercials for the Senate campaign. In the politically ravaged Southern state, the demand for slots is so great that local TV stations have specials that allow incumbent Democratic Raphael Warnock and his Republican challenger, Herschel Walker, to air commercials.

Democrats raise money from small donors

Political observers are already drawing comparisons to presidential elections, although on November 8 only all seats in the House of Representatives and 35 of the 100 seats in the Senate are up for election. One reason for this is that the Democrats have managed to build a new donation infrastructure. Democratic candidates across the country can raise small donations through the ActBlue platform. “It’s true,” said Jessica Taylor, who works for the independent Cook Political Report.

In Pennsylvania, for example, Democratic Senate candidate John Fetterman has raised $48.5 million in donations so far. About half of that money came from supporters who donated $50 or less each. An analysis by the local newspaper The Philadelphia Inquirer also shows that the majority of Fetterman supporters do not live in Pennsylvania and therefore do not have the right to vote in the Senate election campaign.

The treasury of Republican Oz, on the other hand, is much less well-stocked. The multimillionaire has so far pumped $22 million of his personal wealth into the election campaign. There was also $13 million in donations. Thanks to the support of outside Republican campaign vehicles, Oz Fetterman in Pennsylvania is still able to keep up. The only difference is that TV channels charge external campaign vehicles a significantly higher price for TV spots.

Election Observer Jessica Taylor says “Money matters because a candidate cannot be competitive without money,” especially in politically contentious states such as Pennsylvania, Georgia, Arizona or Nevada. Conversely, she does not believe that elections can be bought. The best example of this: In 2020, a Democratic Senate candidate in the populous state of Maine collected about $75 million in donations — more than twice as much as her Republican opponent. The Democrat lost the election, with 42 percent of the vote.