WASHINGTON: Kamala Harris entered the final full month of the US presidential campaign well ahead of Donald Trump, with both candidates investing tens of millions of dollars in television ads ahead of the Nov. 5 contest, according to financial disclosures filed on Sunday.
The campaigns are racing into the final stretch of an extremely close presidential contest, with many polls showing the candidates neck-and-neck, including in battleground states that could determine the winner.
Democratic Vice President Harris has gained a significant financial advantage since launching her campaign in July when President Joe Biden ended his re-election bid.
The Federal Election Commission disclosed $270 million in spending last month, most of it on advertising.
Former Republican President Trump’s advertising-dominated spending totaled $78 million during the month.
Harris’ larger bank account will help blanket the airwaves with television ads in the final days before the election, even though he may not achieve victory.
In the 2016 presidential election, Trump defeated Hillary Clinton despite raising less money than the Democratic nominee.
Harris has raised more money than Trump in recent months from mostly small donors — including in September when Harris raised $222 million to Trump’s $63 million.
However, wealthy Trump supporters, including billionaire Elon Musk, have invested significant resources in groups allied with the former president.
Make America Great Again Inc., one of the largest groups aligned with Trump, received a $25 million contribution in September from conservative billionaire Timothy Mellon, according to a separate Federal Election Commission filing.
Mellon, heir to the Pittsburgh-based Mellon banking family, had already given a super PAC at least $115 million earlier this year. Super PACs have focused much of their spending on television ads supporting Trump.
The Harris campaign told the Federal Election Commission that it entered October with $187 million in the bank, compared to the $120 million reported by the Trump campaign.