The party is vastly outspending Republicans in the races but is fighting a tough political climate and voter disinterest.
Democrats have launched significant efforts to try to fill in those gaps. Between Simon’s campaign, the outside group iVote and the advertising arm of the Democratic Association of Secretaries of State, there has been a little under $6 million worth of TV, radio and digital advertising in Minnesota, according to data from the ad tracking firm AdImpact — and other states have seen significant spending as well.
Even so, Simon said he has noticed a change in how voters think about the office. “I used to have to do a lot more explaining about what the job is,” he said. “More and more people have come to value and appreciate this job. … People get it now in a way that they didn’t necessarily even four year ago, let alone eight years ago.”
Democratic candidates and outside groups have spent or reserved at least $40 million on advertising since Sept. 1 in those states, according to data from AdImpact, compared with around $1 million for Republicans.