As things heat up in New Hampshire, the 2020 Democrats are feeling the pressure. Things didn't go over so well in Iowa. It took the Iowa State Democratic Party just about a week to declare former South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg the winner, with Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) coming in a close second.
Even though former Vice President Joe Biden has been labeled the "frontrunner" in the race, he flopped in Iowa, coming in a dismal fourth place behind Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA). Both Warren and Biden are struggling to re-energize their campaign before Tuesday's primary in New Hampshire.
According to Bloomberg, both candidates are pulling resources from other areas to spend on ad buys in New Hampshire.
It’s not unusual for candidates to shift resources shortly after an election, either to capitalize on a strong finish or to shore up perceived weaknesses. It’s one of the surest ways for political pros to track how campaigns truly feel about their chances, and a way to get beyond the usual optimistic spin.
Biden is working to save face after a “gut punch” fourth-place finish in Iowa. Although he set expectations low during Friday’s debate by declaring he was unlikely to win New Hampshire’s primary, he’s moving money to the Granite State to stave off another embarrassment.
This week, Biden pulled $148,000 from South Carolina, where he has a comfortable lead, and added $90,200 to the Boston market, which includes southern New Hampshire. Looking further ahead, Biden boosted Nevada spending by more than $100,000 by putting $161,336 into broadcast and radio time while cutting $58,372 from local cable outlets. Nevada holds a caucus on Feb. 22.
Warren has had to roll back her ad buys because her campaign was in the red at the end of 2019. As a result, she's pulled ad buys from Nevada and South Carolina, although it's unclear where that half-a-million dollars will be spent instead.
Since Buttigieg was rumored to be the winner in Iowa, his campaign has secured $2.7 million in donations. With that money his team plans to launch a six-figure ad buy in four Super Tuesday states, including Minnesota, Maine, North Carolina and Virginia. He's also buying more air time in South Carolina, where he's struggled with the state's predominantly black population. It's the one state Biden has had strong support.
Let's see if dropping these large sums of money makes a difference in the long run.