See how 2024 Republicans spent more than $123 million on advertising in Iowa

CNN —

Republican candidates and their allies have bombarded Iowa residents with more than $123 million in advertising, breaking the pace set during the 2020 caucuses.

The three leading Republican presidential candidates – Donald Trump, Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis – and their allied super PACs account for more than 70% of all the ad spending in Iowa since the start of 2023, which amounts to more than $90 million. The $123 million in ad spending far outpaces the $84 million that campaigns and groups had spent on advertising ahead of the 2020 Iowa caucuses, when Democrats were battling to become their party’s standard-bearer.

In recent weeks, Haley and DeSantis – who are jockeying to emerge as the leading alternative to Trump, the Iowa polling front-runner – have pummeled one another on the airwaves with blistering ads that accuse their opponent of failing to confront the economic and national security threat posed by China and attacking their records as governor. All the while, they’ve largely steered clear of targeting Trump.

Haley’s political network has spent the most on advertising in the Hawkeye State, with the super PAC supporting her campaign, SFA Fund, ranking as the top advertiser after spending over $31 million on ads. Haley’s campaign has spent an additional $4.9 million on its own advertising.

Behind Haley, DeSantis’ operation has spent the second-most on Iowa advertising – a trio of super PACs formed to support his presidential bid has spent over $31 million on ads in Iowa, while DeSantis’ campaign chipped in about $3 million more in advertising there.

Meanwhile, Trump’s super PAC, MAGA Inc., has spent about $11.4 million advertising in Iowa, ranking as the third largest individual advertiser, and