Presidential campaigns spend big on Florida

(Win McNamee, 2020 Getty Images)

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Once again both the Democrat and Republican presidential campaigns have Florida in their crosshairs and consider the state a must-win if they hope for victory in November.

Both campaigns are spending big in the state and doing what they can to put Florida in the spotlight.

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As a swing state holding 29 electoral votes, it’s no surprise both President Donald Trump and former Vict President Joe Biden have their sights set on Florida.

Trump beat Hillary Clinton by more than 110,000 votes in the Sunshine State in 2016.

When Barack Obama beat Mitt Romney in 2012, he won the state by 74,000 votes, down from his 236,000 vote advantage over John McCain in 2008.

During night two of the Republican National Convention, both current and former Florida leaders were front and center.

“Together let’s ensure four more years for President Donald J. Trump,” Florida Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez told the gathering.

Biden’s team has set aside $39 million for TV spots in the state.

“We are taking no voter for granted, from Pensacola to Miami,” Biden for President Florida press secretary Kevin Munoz said.

At $60 million, Trump’s team has set aside even more, but co-chair of the National Republican Party, Thomas Hicks Jr., said television isn’t their only strategy.

“In 2016 you saw the best digital campaign in history. Now you’re going to combine that with the strongest ground game in history,” Hicks said.

Between the two camps, $137 million has already been spent in Florida, breaking the $133 million spent in 2016.

When it comes to the message the campaigns are sending, Biden’s team said it wants Floridians to know his plan for combating the pandemic.

“A national testing program that ensures that everyone can have testing and we can go back to things in a way that’s safe,” Munoz said.

Team Trump is leaning on support for the military, law-and-order and the economy.

“The president built the biggest economy we’ve ever seen and he’s the right man to rebuild it,” Hicks said.

And one thing the Trump campaign has this election cycle compared to 2016 is a record. It’s a record that both campaigns think can be interpreted to their advantage.