Topline
A new super PAC linked to former President Donald Trump has invested millions to support Republicans in five key Senate races next month, targeting Pennsylvania Senate candidate John Fetterman (D) along with President Joe Biden in its latest ad campaign.
MESA, ARIZONA – OCTOBER 09: Republican candidate for U.S. Senate Blake Masters (R) speaks as former … [+]
Key Facts
MAGA Inc.—which is run by Trump spokesperson Taylor Budowich—has spent $11.7 million on advertising in five Senate races since October 6, the ad tracking firm AdImpact reported Wednesday.
MAGA Inc.’s largest investment so far ($2.89 million) is in Arizona, where Trump-endorsed Republican Blake Masters is waging a comeback against Sen. Mark Kelly (D), whose polling lead over Masters has narrowed from about 6.7 to 3.6 points in the last two weeks, according to FiveThirtyEight’s polling average.
MAGA Inc. has spent $2.65 million on the Senate race in Pennsylvania, and on Wednesday, released an ad that shows Biden stumbling up the stairs of Air Force One and a verbal gaffe by Fetterman, who had a stroke in May that left him with auditory processing issues.
Republican J.D. Vance is also getting a boost from MAGA Inc. in his contest against Rep. Tim Ryan (R) in Ohio, where the super PAC has spent $2.39 million, according to AdImpact.
Trump’s PAC has also spent more than $1.8 million each on Senate races in Nevada (where Democratic Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto is facing Republican Adam Laxalt) and Georgia (where Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock is running against Republican Herschel Walker).
Big Number
50. That’s how many Senate seats FiveThirtyEight forecasts each party to win, leaving the Senate split 50-50, as the GOP’s chances of gaining control of the upper chamber have improved significantly in recent weeks.
Key Background
Several Trump-aligned political operatives launched the MAGA Inc. super PAC in late September in a bid to expand the former president’s influence over the midterm elections and help his endorsed candidates win. With Budowich at the helm, Trump pollster Tony Fabrizio is running the group’s polling operations, and former Trump campaign and White House staffer Steven Cheung is in charge of MAGA Inc.’s communications team, according to Politico. Trump could also use the super PAC to fund a 2024 presidential campaign, and as a testing ground for who might run his campaign if he decides to enter the race, Politico reported, citing people close to Trump. Trump has maintained an active political schedule in the lead-up to election day, traveling to Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio and Arizona in recent weeks to hold rallies for Republican candidates, including Masters and Arizona gubernatorial nominee Kari Lake. The former president endorsed hundreds of Republicans in primary and general elections this year, and a significant number of his preferred candidates won, including Harriet Hageman, who beat Trump adversary Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) by more than 30 points in a GOP primary. Several Trump-backed candidates lost their primaries, however: Rep. Jody Hice lost to incumbent Brad Raffensperger in the Republican primary for Georgia Secretary of State, after Raffensperger framed his refusal to overturn Trump’s 2020 loss in Georgia as a symbol of integrity.
Further Reading
Trump Lawyer Habba Takes Senior Role on MAGA Political Group (Bloomberg)
As midterms near, Trump shifts focus to 2024 and his own political future (CNN)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/saradorn/2022/10/26/trump-linked-super-pac-spends-millions-in-these-key-senate-races/