As part of a $50 million ad campaign from Vice President Kamala Harris’ super PAC in the lead-up to Election Day, $3.5 million of that spend is going to radio, TV and digital ads aimed at South Asian and Asian American Pacific Islander voters in four key battleground states, by way of a partnership between The Impact Fund, a leading national political organization representing Indian and South Asian American communities, and Presidential SuperPAC Future Forward.
The campaign, which marks the largest-ever independent spend focused on AAPI voters for any presidential candidate, is set to reach 1.3 million eligible voters in the segment — including 400,000 South Asian voters — in Pennsylvania, Michigan, North Carolina, and Georgia, now through Election Day. Ads are focused on issues important to the target, such as the economy, abortion rights, and supporting caregivers, while noting how Harris’s South Asian heritage and background inform those values.
“South Asian and Asian American voters are a key part of the coalition that will elect Kamala Harris,” Future Forward President Chauncey McLean says. “These 1.3 million voters across the battleground states will know what’s at stake and the choice we have to make. It’s a choice between Donald Trump’s vision of an economy that rewards people for already being rich, or Kamala Harris’s vision where working people have a chance for economic security, access to healthcare, and a secure retirement.”
The Impact Fund Executive Director Chintan Patel adds, “This partnership with Future Forward represents a historic investment in ensuring South Asian and AAPI voices are heard at the ballot box, and with Kamala Harris leading the charge, we have a unique opportunity to make history.”
In addition to its AAPI campaign, a significant part of Future Forward’s spend is geared toward white working-class males, another segment crucial to moving the needle in swing states. One ad currently airing features a goateed welder saying, “Trump is fighting for rich guys like himself” — such as Elon Musk, shown in a tuxedo in the spot — “while Kamala is fighting for us.”
According to AdImpact, Democrats’ spending on the Presidential campaign was close to $93 million during the first week of October, vs. Republicans’ $54 million. As reported in the New York Times, Trump’s main super PAC, MAGA Inc., plans to spend nearly $100 million of the $283 million on hand in the weeks left until Election Day.
In September, Trump’s campaign reported having raised $160 million. While the Harris campaign has yet to release figures for last month, it’s worth noting that the VP has out-raised Trump’s camp every month since she replaced President Biden on the Democratic ticket.
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