(The Center Square) — Political advertising in Pennsylvania for the 2024 presidential election is predicted to reach $360 million, the highest level in the nation.

Overall spending, including down-ballot races, is projected to be $800 million, the 3rd-highest in the nation.

This is according to The Political Projections Report, which was released on Monday by advertisement tracking company AdImpact.

Swing states like Georgia, Pennsylvania and North Carolina will play especially critical roles in the presidential election, the report found.

“With spending centralized in a handful of swing states that will ultimately decide the election, we expect the general to see $2.16B, a 17% increase over 2020.”

Pennsylvania will also likely see record levels of spending on both Senate and down-ballot races as well.

“With Democrats on the defensive this fall, spending will overwhelmingly occur in several key battleground states: Arizona, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Nevada, Maryland, Michigan, and Wisconsin,” the report found.

All of these numbers are significantly higher than in past election cycles.

The report anticipates a 19% growth in overall advertising in the upcoming election cycle over the 2020 election season, with spending through June 30th already “pacing $529M ahead of the 2020 cycle.”

This comes as political advertising just begins to enter what AdImpact calls the “true spending season,” which runs from July 1 through Election Day.

Nationwide political advertising spending will likely reach a record high $10.69 billion, making it the “most expensive on record.”

The $10.69 billion was a revision from its earlier-predicted number of $10.2 billion.

Pennsylvania also saw an upward revision of $62 million from the past report, giving it the 5th-largest increase.

Much of the spending comes from political interest groups like Planned Parenthood, who are particularly motivated to spend in states with ballot initiatives dealing with abortion, marijuana, or other issues.

According to AdImpact, if Pennsylvania decides to take up an initiative on one of those issues, there’s a “strong indication” that “it will see an influx of additional expenditures.”

Elyse Apel is an apprentice reporter with The Center Square, covering Georgia and North Carolina. She is a 2024 graduate of Hillsdale College.

DOYLESTOWN, PA — California Governor Gavin Newsom will be in Bucks County on Saturday, July 6 campaigning for the re-election of President Joe Biden, the Biden campaign announced this week.

According to press reports, the Democratic Governor will appear with state Sen. Steve Santarsiero, State Rep. Tim Brennan, Bucks County Commissioner Diane Ellis-Marseglia and Ashley Ehasz, the Democratic candidate running for U.S. Congress in Pennsylvania’s first district.

They are scheduled to appear at a 10 a.m. rally in the courtyard of the Bucks County Administration building at 55 West Court Street, Doylestown.

Bucks County is seen as a key swing county in Pennsylvania’s contested general election for President of the United States.

In 2020, Biden beat Republican Donald Trump in Bucks County with 51.6 percent of the vote to Trump’s 47.29 percent. And in 2016, Hillary Clinton won over Trump with 48.52 percent of the vote to Trump’s 47.74 percent.

Doylestown Republicans said they plan on welcoming the California governor to town by staging a “flash rally” beginning at 9:30 a.m.

“Wear your Trump gear and bring your Trump flags,” the Republicans wrote in a campaign announcement being circulated on social media.

PITTSBURGH, Pennsylvania (KDKA) — A man is in custody after he allegedly attacked three other people with a sword inside the Wyndham Grand Hotel in Downtown Pittsburgh in the early morning hours of July 4.

According to the criminal complaint provided to KDKA-TV, police were called to the hotel just after 1 a.m. for reports of a person bleeding and screaming in the hallway.

Once they arrived, they learned that the attack occurred in a room on the fifth floor. They observed blood on the floor and wall of the fifth floor near the room where the attack occurred.

They spoke with the victim who said that the suspect, Jake O’Leary of South Carolina, was in town with three other people for the Anthrocon 2024.

One of the victims told police that they, along with two others, were invited to come to town early and join O’Leary in his hotel room until their room was ready.

As they all went to bed, O’Leary, according to victims, yelled something to the effect of “Allah does not approve” and came back brandishing a sword. He began to swing the sword at the other occupants of the room, causing bodily harm.

One victim suffered a severe cut that split her right pinky finger to her ring finger, which was over an inch, and she also suffered tissue damage down to the bone. That victim was able to transport herself to the hospital.

O’Leary was transported to the hospital to be observed by a doctor and after he was cleared, he was taken to the Allegheny County Jail. He now faces a charge of aggravated assault.

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