Presidential candidates make final ad buys in Iowa

Iowa caucuses are less than two weeks away
Republican presidential candidates have been spending big in the state
Haley released ad Tuesday attacking DeSantis over China

Updated: Jan 2, 2024 / 02:57 PM CST

(NewsNation) — Two pivotal dates in the race to the White House are fast approaching.

The Iowa Republican Caucuses are now less than two weeks away, with the New Hampshire primaries scheduled not long after that.

Former President Donald Trump still holds a massive lead over the other contestants. A NewsNation/Decision Desk HQ poll has him at 52% — which is more than 30 points over Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, who are both vying for second place. Meanwhile, biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie have 6% and 4%, respectively in the Decision Desk poll.

Last-minute ad blitzes are now underway in the Hawkeye State, which could affect final results.

AdImpact, which tracks political spending, says Republican candidates have already spent $100 million in Iowa — and voters can expect to see more ads in the next two weeks.

When looking at Super PAC and campaign money, Haley has spent $4.6 million in Iowa ahead of the caucuses, and has another $1.3 million in reserves. For DeSantis, that number is $1.7 million, while Trump spent almost $1,954,000 in the state.

Haley’s campaign on Tuesday released an ad criticizing DeSantis for being weak on China. DeSantis’ campaign press spokesperson hit back, saying the ad is full of “debunked lies about Ron DeSantis’ record” and “reeks of desperation” to distract from her own record.