Screenshots from recent ads purchased either by or on behalf of gubernatorial campaigns for Democrat Jennifer McCormick and Republican Mike Braun. (Screenshots from ads)
Hoosiers may already have noticed television and radio ads for Indiana’s gubernatorial candidates during their favorite shows, and more are coming.
The largest campaign buy so far comes from Republican Mike Braun, whose campaign said he would spend $500,000 on a 10-day statewide campaign starting on Sept. 5. Democrat Jennifer McCormick and Libertarian Donald Rainwater also have ad buys airing in the coming days.
Braun’s campaign is also getting a boost from an outside conservative group with close ties to Braun, though it’s labeled as a “Non-candidate issue ad” heavily featuring the sitting U.S. Senator.
All three candidates are on the ballot for the general election. Nov. 5 is Election Day.
McCormick goes live
Both McCormick and Rainwater made purchases for airtime directly from their campaigns, as documented in a review of records filed with the Federal Communications Commission.
The FCC lists several buys from the McCormick campaign set to air this week from Sept. 5 to Sept. 9. On Wednesday, McCormick released two 30-second ads on her YouTube account — “Places Like This” and “What’s Right.” McCormick’s campaign didn’t respond to the Indiana Capital Chronicle but told the IndyStar it paid six figures for advertising.
“Places Like This” has an agricultural focus, accusing Braun of “selling out our workers to China and stacking the rules in his favor.” McCormick additionally vows not to “outsource” talent, resources or land if elected.
The other ad, “What’s Right,” features the former educator in a classroom and discusses her background. McCormick was the state’s last elected Superintendent of Education, a position she held as a Republican.
“My party changed. But what I believe hasn’t,” McCormick tells viewers. She adds that she would reverse the state’s near-total abortion ban and lower taxes in addition to her education priorities.
The biggest individual purchase, which doesn’t indicate the ad to be played, is airtime with NBC’s WTHR in Indianapolis for $13,775. Several of the buys, including WTHR’s, appear to be coordinated through McKenna Media, a Maryland firm that has worked on several national Democratic campaigns.
Other McKenna Media buys include ads placed with South Bend stations WSBT and ESBT as well as Fort Wayne’s WFFT and Indianapolis’ WRTV. The FCC also documents McKenna Media advertising purchased on Indianapolis’ WISH for $4,545, Indianapolis WNDY and Fort Wayne CBS affiliate WANE.
The combined advertising buys found on the FCC total at least $42,081.
A separate media campaign, scheduled for Aug. 29 to Sept. 4, aired on iHeartMEDIA stations WFBQ, WNDE, WOLT, BOLT and WZRL but had a reported cost of $0.
Advertising on Braun’s behalf
A search of FCC records for the Braun campaign displayed pages of results related to his primary run, but nothing so far for the general election. Braun won the May 7, 2024 primary shortly after polls closed.
Braun’s campaign shared a new, 30-second television ad that will begin airing this week that it said cost $500,000. The “Working Hard” ad highlights Braun’s multi-million dollar company, Meyer Distributing, and says he will “lead the charge on lowering the price of gas, groceries and health care.”
Outside groups appear to also be paying for advertising on Braun’s behalf, such as Hoosier HOPE, Inc. The group recently launched a new ad and every video associated with its YouTube account is about Braun, including one with a thumbnail about Braun’s plan to “deport illegals.”
The latest ad, titled “Mike Braun” on its YouTube channel, says the U.S. Senator prioritizes “smart policies” over partisanship on issues such as lowering health care costs and improving patient care. The ad also highlights his support for expanding school choice.
However, the advertisements, which are scheduled to run from Aug. 29 until Sept. 11, are categorized as “Non-candidate issue ads” by the FCC.
The group spent $8,720 on running an ad with the Indianapolis CBS affiliate and $14,560 with Fox59. The advertising filing with the FEC lists prominent conservative attorney and known Braun supporter Jim Bopp as the contact and treasurer for Hoosier HOPE.
The website listed on the filing includes a board with several prominent conservative Hoosiers, including American for Prosperity’s Ryan Black and Betsy Wiley, who advocates for school voucher expansion. Both videos on the site’s homepage feature Braun but its sparse Facebook page doesn’t include much information at all.
Priorities for the group, according to its website, include: free enterprise, reducing health care regulations and shrinking government size.
Libertarian approach
Rainwater appears to have focused his 2024 advertising on radio, as documented by the FCC. Rainwater’s campaign has purchased $165 worth of advertising from WBIW; $145 from WPHZ; and $190 from WBIW/WQRK, all stations based in Bedford, for 30-second spots that will air in late September.
Rainwater’s campaign indicated that roughly half of the radio ads will be heard statewide while the other half will be aired in targeted communities. Other advertising will focus on online radio and digital purchases but campaign manager Kristin Alexander didn’t include a total ad buy.
The FCC’s public documentation includes a rate request form from the Rainwater campaign to conservative radio station WIBC & Network Indiana, a station he advertised with for his 2020 gubernatorial campaign.
Rainwater’s campaign shared that it has spent $10,000 on digital ads for various screens, such as those at gyms and gas pumps, along with nearly $5,000 for print ads. The Bedford-area buys are some of the most recent, Alexander said, but radio buys total over $18,000 for October too.
Alexander anticipated more advertising purchases ahead for the campaign.
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