Nevada Ad Spend: Trump References Vanish in GOP Campaigns

The 2026 Nevada election cycle is nearing its close, with early voting ending Friday, October 30. As the final week of campaigning begins, a stark divergence in messaging strategies has emerged between the state's major parties. Data from AdImpact reveals that Republicans have largely ceased mentioning President Donald Trump in their broadcast and streaming advertisements.

The financial data shows a sharp contrast in how each party utilizes the president's name. Since August 1, Democratic advertisers in Nevada have directed roughly one dollar of every two dollars spent on broadcast and streaming ads toward spots mentioning Trump. In contrast, Republican advertisers have allocated only about one dollar of every $1,000 spent to similar messaging. This disparity suggests a calculated shift in Republican strategy to avoid aligning their candidates with the president in the final stretch of the race.

The governor's race provides the clearest example of this trend. The campaign for Attorney General Aaron Ford, the Democratic nominee, has heavily leveraged Trump's presence. The first Ford ad to mention the president aired on July 28. Since that date, Democrats have spent more than $7 million on governor race ads referencing Trump. Their total spending on governor race ads over that same period has exceeded $13 million. Conversely, Republican candidates for governor have spent $0 on advertisements that mention the president.

Republican spending patterns also show a decline in Trump references as the year progressed. In the two months leading up to the June 9 primaries, nearly 85 percent of ad money spent by Republicans in House races went to spots mentioning Trump. In the two months following the primary election, that figure dropped to just 0.5 percent. This shift aligns with national trends where congressional Republicans have reduced references to the president in general election advertisements.

Democratic strategy in the governor's race has focused on specific economic criticisms linked to the administration. Since August 1, Democrats have spent more than $1.1 million on ads referencing the "Lombardo-Trump economy," a phrase frequently used by the Ford campaign. While there are no pro-Ford ads that mention Trump without also mentioning incumbent Governor Joe Lombardo, the Democratic side has released nine ads that attack Lombardo without naming the president. These ads address topics such as Lombardo's stance on data centers and rebuttals of his attack ads.

Outside spending in Nevada congressional races has also been substantial, according to Federal Election Commission records. The liberal super PAC American Bridge 21st Century spent nearly $1 million on billboards supporting Representative Susie Lee. The conservative super PAC American Majority Action, funded by Richard Uihlein, spent nearly $750,000 each on phone banking, canvassing, and texts for the three Republican nominees in Southern Nevada. The League of Conservation Voters spent $300,000 on advertising opposing David Flippo, while Trump's MAGA Inc. spent more than $30,000 each on digital ads opposing Lee and Teresa Benitez-Thompson.

The Nevada Republican Party is contributing $75,000 to a coordinated spend with Flippo. Their new advertisement attacks Benitez-Thompson as too far left, citing a quote from a news outlet called The Post Sentinel that labeled her the most far-left wing candidate in America. The Nevada Independent was unable to find a record of such an outlet or the specific quote. Meanwhile, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is running TV ads in Nevada's 1st and 2nd congressional districts in the final week, omitting the 3rd district from its current list of battlegrounds.