Panicked Republicans are boosting campaign spending in red states once considered safe as November’s midterm elections draw closer.
According to Axios, Republicans are pouring millions of dollars into Senate races in Ohio and Iowa after recent polls and voting trends suggested the once-safe Republican strongholds are becoming increasingly shaky ahead of the fall elections.
One Nation, the conservative nonprofit aligned with Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota, has reserved $28 million in TV advertising in Ohio and another $11 million in Iowa, according to plans obtained by Axios.
President Donald Trump, 80, won Ohio and Iowa by double-digit margins two years ago. The ads are scheduled to begin Wednesday and run through the summer.
The spending is aimed at reinforcing what Republicans view as a Senate “red wall” that could block Democrats’ path to a majority in the chamber. The GOP holds narrow majorities in both the House and the Senate, leaving little margin for error as the midterm elections approach.
During a June 1 conference call with Thune and top Republican donors, One Nation Executive Director Alex Latcham touted some $100 million in spending targeting Democrat-held Senate seats in New Hampshire, Georgia and Michigan, a person familiar with the call told Axios.
However, Latcham also pushed to boost spending to defend GOP-held seats in Ohio, Iowa, Alaska, Maine and North Carolina.
Tommy Garcia, a spokesperson for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, told Axios that “this five-alarm fire by Republicans shows they know just how fragile their Senate majority is.”
“Democrats have expanded the map with strong candidates and formidable campaigns,” Garcia added.
The Republican spending push comes as Trump scrambles to restore confidence in his government amid voters’ increasingly bleak assessment of the economy. Americans continue to struggle with rising living costs despite Trump’s repeated claims that his economic agenda is working.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
