INFLUENCE

Ads Bombard S.C. Airwaves

Pro-Romney super PAC has spent $2.3 million.

South Carolina, which has picked every Republican candidate since 1980, is already seeing ads from Mitt Romney, Ron Paul, Rick Santorum, Rick Perry, and Newt Gingrich—not to mention the ads by super PACs supporting each candidate. Some candidates are using their personal history: Rick Perry tells his life story in one ad, and Rick Santorum stands on the steps of his house with all seven of his children in another. Perry and Ron Paul are both running ads featuring veterans, and a separate ad touts Paul’s military service. Dominating the blitz is Romney and the super PACs that support him, including Restore Our Future, which reportedly spent $2.3 million in ads in South Carolina and another $3.6 million in Florida. Restore Our Future has been matched by a pro-Gingrich super PAC, Winning the Future, which has spent $1.6 million in ad buys—less than the projected $3.4 million.