Pro-Burgum super PAC revs up ad spending as second debate looms

The super PAC supporting North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum has been the top 2024 ad spender since last week’s first Republican presidential debate, as the group looks to help Burgum gain enough traction to make next month’s debate.

Best of America PAC has booked and spent $950,000 since Thursday, the day after the GOP debate, according to the ad-tracking firm AdImpact. That includes ads booked through Monday, with the spending has almost entirely in markets covering Iowa and New Hampshire — about $375,000 in Boston (which covers much of its neighbor to the north), and in Iowa, $210,000 in the Cedar Rapids market, $150,000 in the Des Moines market, and about $100,000 each in the Sioux City and Davenport markets.

That’s more than any other candidate or group over that span, including the second and third top-spending GOP groups, the super PACs supporting former President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis respectively (MAGA Inc. and Never Back Down).

The flurry of spending, which the group telegraphed a few weeks ago, comes with Burgum facing less than a month to secure 3% support in enough polls to allow him to participate in the Republican National Committee’s second debate.

After tearing his Achilles tendon the day before the first debate, Burgum spoke for just eight minutes on stage, less than every candidate except for former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, who is also not a sure thing for next month’s debate.

Burgum’s past big spending has already helped him hit the 3% mark in at least one Iowa poll that appears to meet the RNC’s criteria, but he will need to replicate that showing in at least one national poll and one other statewide poll of New Hampshire, South Carolina or Nevada to make the debate stage.