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Governors

VoteVets Launches $500,000 Ad Campaign Against Virginia GOP Candidate

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

A liberal organization that supports veterans in politics, VoteVets, is investing $500,000 in an ad campaign targeting Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears in the Virginia governor's race, focusing on cost-of-living concerns. The campaign aims to boost the Democratic nominee, former Rep. Abigail Spanberger, who is seeking to become the first Democrat to hold the governor's office since 2014. VoteVets hopes to recruit more candidates with national security and military service records to help the party win contests nationwide.

Key Takeaways:

  • VoteVets, a liberal organization, is launching a $500,000 ad campaign targeting Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears in the Virginia governor's race.
  • The campaign focuses on cost-of-living concerns, accusing Earle-Sears of supporting GOP policies that have driven up living costs in Virginia.
  • The ad campaign targets voters in the Richmond and Norfolk media markets on broadcast, streaming, and Spotify platforms.
  • The VoteVets campaign is part of a larger effort to recruit more candidates with national security and military service records to run for office in 2026.
  • VoteVets has already supported Democrats who have won seats in Congress, including former Rep. Abigail Spanberger, who was a VoteVets-endorsed candidate in 2018.
  • The ad campaign marks a notable investment in a key off-year election, with both sides escalating attacks in the final sprint to Election Day.

Statistics:

  • VoteVets plans to spend $500,000 on advertising in Virginia through November.
  • Democrats have outspent Republicans by about $5.6 million to $3.2 million through mid-August, according to data from the ad tracking firm AdImpact.
  • Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears had $15.2 million in cash on hand, compared to $4.6 million for Democratic nominee Abigail Spanberger, as of the end of June.
  • VoteVets has contributed $1 million to the Virginia governor's race, including $500,000 directly to Spanberger's campaign in February.

Sources:

  • CNN
  • VoteVets memo detailing the group's efforts in the second quarter of the year
  • AdImpact data on ad spending in Virginia
  • VoteVets campaign contributions to Spanberger's campaign
  • Richmond and Norfolk media markets data on ad spending

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