As election day approaches, presidential campaigns adjust their ad messaging

ORLANDO, Fla. — With less than seven weeks until election day, and less than a week until mail-in ballots go out, the spending to win Florida is accelerating.

Political reporter Christopher Heath examined the messaging now, finding a shift for both campaigns on issues as voters start to make decisions.

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Over the summer, the message from the Biden camp was squarely on COVID-19, while the Trump campaign  focused on law and order.

But with votes already being cast in some states, and Florida set to send out mail ballots this week, we’re seeing a shift from the Trump campaign.

“In the past few weeks, they have shifted more to a message of traditional bread and butter Republican issues: jobs and taxes,” co-director of the Wesleyan Media Project Travis Ridout says.

From August 10 until September 13, the vast majority of Trump campaign ads dealt with jobs, business, and taxes. COVID-19 is seventh on the list.

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Meanwhile, COVID-19 remains the top issue for the Biden team, followed by general healthcare issues, then business and jobs.

“I think there are a lot of things going on because there are a lot of different types of voters,” Ridout adds.

There’s also been a shift in tone for both campaigns.

Over the summer, attack ads accounted for more than half of all ads. Now, they’re less than 40 percent.

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Groups working outside of the campaigns are also hard at work. We just got our first look at a new pro-Biden ad funded as part of the $100 million Michael Bloomberg pledged to spend in Florida.

It’s set to start airing very soon, and once it does, we’ll put it to the Eyewitness News Truth Test.

Cox Media Group