In September, particularly after the first Republican debate, Vivek Ramaswamy reached third place in the GOP preferences for president. It was even debated whether he would surpass Ron DeSantis for second place. Now, the businessman fell to fourth place and seeks to regain lost momentum with a $12 million ad purchase ahead of the third debate.
The investment is broken down into $8 million for Iowa and another $4 million for New Hampshire, coincidentally the first states that will go to the polls. The purchase includes broadcast, cable, radio and digital mail ads.
Tricia McLaughlin, Ramaswamy's campaign advisor, hinted that the numbers could increase in both states. "Vivek is not an idiot. Anytime earlier would have been stupid. And this is just the beginning," she said.
NEW: Vivek Ramaswamy is launching an 8-figure ad blitz across Iowa and New Hampshire that includes broadcast, cable, radio, digital and direct mail.
Here’s a first look at one of the adshttps://t.co/TLZWGPATxk pic.twitter.com/EKsD21TeMn
— Stephanie Murray (@stephanie_murr) November 2, 2023
At the same time, she anticipated potential voters will once again see the more aggressive Ramaswamy who stole the show in the first debate. "If people thought he was aggressive with events leading up to this, stay tuned for post-Nov. 8," she added in dialogue with The Hill.
Ramaswamy fell to fourth place in the Republican primaries; however, the average of Real Clear Politics polls in Iowa and New Hampshire place him in fifth place, in the first case behind Scott and in the second behind Christie.
The third Republican debate
It will take place on November 8 in Miami (Florida) and will be broadcast by NBC. To qualify, candidates must meet the following requirements :
- At least 70,000 unique donors.
- Achieve at least 4% voter turnout in two national polls or in one national poll and one early state poll that meets RNC polling requirements.
- Sign the commitment to support the eventual Republican nominee.
So far, only Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley, Chris Christie and Ramaswamy himself have qualified for the third debate, while Tim Scott and Doug Burgum, who took the stage in California, have not yet managed to cross off all the requirements.
